TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES. 

Sir, — It has hitherto been customary for persons making 
the ascent of Mont Blanc to devote two dayB to the expedi- 
tion, the first night being passed either in the cabin on the 
Grands Mulets, or the still more wretched hut on the 
Aiguille du Goute. This course necessitates a very large 
supply of provisions and the engagement of porters at a con- 
siderable expense, to carry them up to whichever night 
quarters may be selected. I therefore venture to trouble 
you with a few notes of an ascent made on Saturday, the 
2dinst., when I had the pleasure of proving the practica- j 
bility of accomplishing the whole distance in a single day, 
thereby avoiding the uncomfortable night quarters, mate- 
rially reducing the charge for provisions, and entirely 
obviating the necessity for porters. 

Accompanied only by my guide, Christian Aimer, I left 
the rough but clean little inn known as the Pavillion Belle- 
vue, above the Col de Voza, at 2 a.m., reached the top of 
the Aiguille du Goute at 10 10 a.m., and the summit of 
Mont Blanc vid the Bosse du Dromadaire, at 3 5 p.m. The 
descent to Chamouni was effected by the ordinary route of 
the Corridor, Grand Plateau, and Glacier des Boissons. By 
9 30 p.m. we were within half an hour of the village of Cha- 
mouni, but in the darkness missed the way through the 
lower part of the forest, and although, as we subsequently 
saw, the track was close to us, were unable to extricate our- 
selves till daylight. But for this unfortunate contretemps 
Chamouni would have been reached by 10 p.m. The exces- 
sive time occupied by the expedition, (20 hours, including 
halts to the extent of only 1| hour) was caused by the unu. 
sually dangerous condition of the Aiguille du Goute, the 
ascent of which took two hours longer than usual in conse- 
quence of the rocks being coated with ice. Under ordinary 
circumstances a pedestrian in good condition might fairly 
hopeto accomplish the entire " course" in 18 hours. 

I may mention that my provisions for the day, including 
three bottles of wine, cost the sum of 8^f., and that* although 
the mountain had not been before ascended this year, Aimer 
had no difficulty in leading me up and down unaidecL 
I am, Sir, your obedient servant. 

Chamouni, July 4. * & A /■ A. W. MOORE, 
/ IT U +4 } ^ 



Infoi iation respecting the Western Alps, for use in a future edition, 
and contributions to the two remaining parts of this work,, the Central 
Alps and the Eastern Alps, will be thankfully received by the Editor. 
It is requested that they may be authenticated by the name and address 
of the writer, and directed to care of Messrs. Longman & Co., 39 
Paternoster Row, London, E.C. 



A GUIDE 

TO 

THE WESTERN ALPS. 



/ 

JOHN BALL, M.E.LA., F.L.S., &<:. 

LATE PRESIDENT OP THE ALPINE CLUB. 



WITH AN ARTICLE ON THE 
GEOLOGY OF THE ALPS, BY M. E. DESOR, OF NEUCHATEL, MEMBER OF 
VARIOUS LEARNED SOCIETIES. 

■■ it Sj . 



s :■ ... 



LONDON: 

LONGMAN, GREEN, LONGMAN, EOBERTS, & GREEN. 

1863. 



LONDON 

PKINTBD BY SPOTTISWOODE AND CO. 
NEW-8TBEET SQUARE 



PEEF ACE. 



^ 

A just distinction has been drawn between travellers who 
visit foreign countries with the object of gaining and com- 
municating knowledge, and tourists who go from place to 
place seeking amusement and change of scene, but without 
any more definite scope than to gratify a superficial cu- 
riosity. The line of distinction between these two classes, 
which was easily drawn twenty or thirty years ago, is now-a- 
days less definitely marked. The all but universal taste for 
travelling has spread at a time when increased knowledge and 
a more lively interest in physical science have become diffused 
throughout the educated classes in our own and other countries. 
Most men of cultivated minds occasionally seek relaxation in 
travelling, and a large proportion of tourists have sufficient 
knowledge to take an intelligent interest in some, or it may 
be in several, departments of science or art naturally con- 
nected with the country through which they pass. 

These remarks especially apply to travellers in the Alps. 
The day is past when it could be thought necessary to apo- 
logise for or explain the prevalence of a love for mountain 
travelling. It is a simple fact that, especially in our own 
country, thousands of persons have learned to regard this as 
a sovereign medicine for mind and body, and to feel that the 
weeks or months devoted to it are the periods of life most 
full of true enjoyment, and those that leave the most abiding 
impressions. The fact that the scenery of the Alps is unsur- 
passed elsewhere in the world for the union of grandeur, 
beauty, and variety, and that it is accessible with a trilling 
expenditure of time and money, naturally accounts for the 
constantly increasing influx of strangers. 



vi 



PREFACE. 



As high mountain countries, and the Alps in particular, 
abound with phenomena new and striking to the intel- 
ligent observer, there is a constant increase in the number 
of those who, without undertaking systematic research, are 
led to desire further information respecting the structure of 
the earth's surface, and the causes that have uplifted the 
mountain ranges, or the laws that regulate the circulation of 
heat and moisture, which maintain what may be called the 
inanimate life of our planet, or the animal and vegetable forms 
that exhibit in apparently inhospitable regions so rich a 
variety. 

In addition to these objects of interest, there is a simpler 
branch of enquiry which especially recommends itself to many 
of our active and energetic countrymen. Many parts of the 
Alps are very difficult of access, and but a few years ago there 
were many considerable districts whose highest peaks had 
never been attained, which were not known to be traversed 
by practicable passes, and of which none but slight and im- 
perfect information was anywhere accessible. To explore 
these little-known districts, to scale the higher summits, and 
to discover passes that should connect valleys that are sepa- 
rated by lofty ranges, have been the pursuits of the members 
of the Alpine Club. 

Without exaggerating the importance of the work achieved, 
it is impossible to deny that a remarkable degree of enterprise 
and energy has been exhibited by many of the members of 
that association in accomplishing work which, if not actually 
scientific, is certainly conducive to the progress of science. 
They cannot indeed rival the men who, following the illus- 
trious example of Saussure, have explored the Alps with the 
definite object of enlarging the bounds of science ; but, in 
achieving the preparatory task of opening the way through 
many of the least accessible parts of the Alpine chain, they 
have undoubtedly surpassed the performances of all their pre- 
decessors. Some useful contributions to the hypsometry of 
the Alps, and other occasional observations, are probably but 
the prelude to more considerable performances in the field 
of science. 



PREFACE. 



vii 



It has for some time been felt that the time had come for 
attempting to supply to Alpine travellers a guide-book dif- 
fering in many respects from those hitherto in use, and the 
writer has been urged, by some of those most capable of con- 
tributing to such a work, to undertake the task. He has no 
claim to a brilliant share in the adventurous performances of 
his friends and fellow-members of the Alpine Club ; his qua- 
lifications, such as they are, arise rather from a somewhat pro- 
longed and extensive acquaintance with the greater portion 
of the Alps, in the course of which he has crossed the main 
chain forty-eight times by thirty-two different passes, besides 
traversing nearly one hundred of the lateral passes. 

This work differs from most, if not all, of its predecessors 
in its plan, which is designed to include the entire re- 
gion of the Alps, In regard to certain districts the avail- 
able information is incomplete, but the arrangement is such, 
that the omissions may be easily supplied hereafter. Besides 
the preliminary matter contained in the Introduction, a variety 
of notes and indications connected with geology and botany 
are scattered through the body of the work, with a view to 
direct and guide those who feel an interest in those subjects. 
Detailed notices of the vegetation would occupy too much 
space, and the botanical indications have for the most part 
been confined to pointing out localities for the rarest species, 
chiefly from the writer's personal observation. The article 
in the Introduction on the Geology of the Alps, which, it is 
believed, will interest a numerous class of readers, is from the 
pen of M. Desor, the distinguished Swiss geologist. In trans- 
lating this essay, the writer has sought to render faithfully the 
views of M. Desor, which in the main coincide with those of 
M. Studer and other leading Swiss geologists; but he may be 
permitted here to say, that on not a few points of theory his 
own opinions are not in accordance with those of the author. 
What is certain is, that an extensive field for investigation still 
remains for future enquiry, and it may be hoped that an essay 
which for the first time brings together in a connected way 
the results of past work, will tend to progress, by directing 
attention to the points still requiring examination. 



PREFACE. 



The portion of the work now given to the public includes, 
under the title 6 Western Alps/ the entire range that encircles 
the plain of Piedmont, from the Maritime Alps north of Nice 
to the Pass of the Simplon, along with the Dauphine and 
Savoy Alps, and the portions of Switzerland connected with 
the Pennine range. This is the portion of the Alps in which 
the amount of new matter available through tlte activity of 
the members of the Alpine Club is most considerable, mainly 
because it includes the portions most difficult of access, and 
where, owing to the comparative neglect of their predecessors, 
most remained to be done. The Bernese Alps, and those of 
Eastern Switzerland, have been pretty well explored by Swiss 
savans and mountaineers, though room was left to some 
Englishmen to devise new and adventurous expeditions, and a 
similar observation applies to the German Alps, which are, at 
the same time, less difficult of access. 

It may be a satisfaction to future travellers if the writer 
here expresses his conviction that, in spite of all that has yet 
been done, no portion of the Alps can, in a topographical, and 
still less in a scientific sense, be said to be thoroughly explored. 
In districts supposed to be well known, an active mountaineer 
will constantly find scope for new expeditions ; and if he has 
cultivated the habit of observation, he may, at the same time, 
make these subservient to the increase of knowledge. 

It has been a matter of great difficulty to reconcile the 
necessity for compression with the abundance of materials at 
hand, and the writer cannot expect to escape criticism from 
readers who may find one or other subject imperfectly treated. 
Though it is hoped that the work will be found useful for 
reference, as containing a large body of topographical and 
other information, it is primarily intended for Alpine travellers, 
and the object kept in view has been to select the matter most 
likely to be of use and interest to that class. Had it been 
designed as a history of Alpine adventure, it would be open to 
the reproach that it does not adequately notice the labours of 
earlier explorers, such as Saussure, Hiigi, Zumstein, and many 
other surviving travellers, nor often refer to the earlier autho- 
rities. The writer has perhaps more reason to fear that tra- 



PREFACE. 



ix 



vellers may reproach him for having admitted too much matter, 
than for undue brevity. 

In respect to expeditions which have been made but once, 
or very rarely, the writer has usually given the account in an 
abridged form, but in the actual words of the traveller whose 
initials are subscribed, the names being given in full in the 
annexed page of Explanations. 

To the authors of these notes, which have for the most part 
been communicated in MSS. to the writer, he begs hereby to 
express his cordial acknowledgements, and his hope that they 
will continue to furnish further information towards the com- 
pletion of the work. At the risk of appearing to fail in more 
special acknowledgement to others who have contributed valu- 
able matter, he feels bound to offer his especial thanks to 
Messrs. W. Mathews, jun., and F. F. Tuckett, and to the 
Chanoine Carrel, of Aosta. The two former gentlemen, in par- 
ticular, have afforded invaluable assistance by the corrections 
and hints which they are each so well able to afford, and which 
were the more necessary as the work has been for the most 
part executed at a distance from England, and with but 
limited opportunities for consulting works of reference. 

Several words not generally admitted in the sense here 
intended have been employed, along with foreign words 
having no exact English equivalents. Thus : 6 pedestrian/ 
' mountaineering,' ' glissade/ 4 bergfall,' and several others 
have no other excuse than convenience to justify their 
introduction. 



J. BALL. 



AUTHORITIES QUOTED. 

The following is a list of the chief authorities quoted in 
the following work, with the ^initials by which they are dis- 
tinguished : — 

T. F. B. Sir Thomas Fowell Buxton, Bart. 

J. J. C. John Jermyn Cowell, Esq. 

H. B. G. Hereford Brooke George, Esq. 

J. G. Major J. Greenwood. 

W. C J. W. C. Jacomb, Esq. 

S. W. K. Rev. S. W. King. 

E. L. A Lady. 

W. M. William Mathews, jun., Esq. 

M. ' Murray's * Handbook for Switzerland, Savor, and Piedmont/ 

L. S. Rev. Leslie Stephen. 

F. F. T. F. Fox Tuckett, Esq. 



ABBREVIATIONS AND EXPLANATIONS. 

The following are the chief abbreviations used in this 
work : — 

hrs., min. — for hours and minutes. When used as a measure of distance, 
one hour is meant to indicate the distance which a tolerably good walker 
will traverse in an hour, clear of halts, and having regard to the difficulty 
of the ground. In cases where there is a considerable difference of height, 
the measure given is intended as a mean between the time employed in 
ascending and descending, being greater in the one case and less in the 
other. 

ft., yds. — for feet and yards. The heights of mountains, &c, are given 
in English feet above the level of the sea, and are generally indicated in 
the manner usual in scientific books, by the figures being enclosed in 
brackets, with a short stroke. 

m. — for mile. Unless otherwise expressed, distances are given in English 
statute miles. 

rt., 1. — for right and left. The right side of a valley, stream, or glacier, is 
that lying on the right hand of a person following the downward course of 
the stream. 

The points of the compass are indicated in the usual way. 
Names of places are referred in the Index to the pages where some 
useful information respecting them is to be found. 



CONTENTS. 

> 

PAGE 

Preface . . . * ▼ 

Authorities quoted x 

Abbreviations and Explanations . . x 

INTRODUCTION. 

Art. I. Preliminary Information : Passports— Money — Custom-House 

Regulations — Measures — Electric Telegraph — Post-Offices . xix 

„ II. Routes for approaching the Alps . . . . . . xxii 

„ III. Plan of a Tour . . . . . , . . . . xxvii 

„ IV. Modes of Travelling in the Alps xxviii 

„ V. Guides and Porters . xxxii 

„ VI. Inns . « xxxvi 

„ VII. General Advice to Travellers in the Alps xxxix 

„ VIII. Advice ro Pedestrians . xliv 

„ IX. On Mountaineering ........ xiik 

„ X. Climate and Vegetation of the Alps : Chalet Life in the Alps . lvi 

„ XI. Alpine Zoology Ixi 

„ XII. Meteorology and Hypsometry of the Alps : Instruments used 

by Travellers . Ixiv 

„ XIII. The Snow Region of the Alps : Glaciers— Avalanches . . lxvi 

„ XIV. Geology of the Alps lxxiv 

Authorities to be consulted on the Geology of the Alps . . • cxxiv 

List of Works on the Alps cxxv 

List of Alpine Maps . ... * cxxxiii 

Supplementary Notes cxxxvii 



CHAPTER I. 
MARITIME ALPS. 

Section 1. 
TENDA DISTRICT. 

Rte. A. Turin to TCice — Col di Tenda . 3 

„ B. Cuneo to Baths of Valdieri r > ' 

„ C. Baths of Valdieri to Nice, Col delle Cerese t * • • . " 8 

„ D. Cuneo to Nice, Col delle Finestre . . . • • • .10 



xii 



CONTENTS. 



Section 2. 
THE ARGENTIERE DISTRICT. 

PAGE 

Rte. A. Cutieo to Barcelonelte, Col d'Argentiere il 

„ B. Cuneo to Barcelonette, by Val Maira 13 

„ C. Cuneo to Piazzo, by Val Grana 15 

„ D. Saluzzo to Barcelonette — Val Vraita ...... 15 

Section 3. 
BASSES ALPES. 

Rte. A. Nice to Barcelonette — Valley of the Tinea 17 

„ B. Nice to Colmar — Valley of the Var 18 

,, C. Colmar to Barcelonette 19 

„ D. Barcelonette to Gap or Embrun — Valley of the U bay e . . .19 



CHAPTEK II. 

COTTIAN ALPS. 

Section 4. 
VISO DISTRICT, 

Rte. A. Saluzzo to Mont Dauphin — Col de la Traversette . . . .23 

„ B. Ascent of Monte Viso — Tour of Monte Viso 27 

„ C. Barcelonette to Guilestre — Col de Vars 30 

„ D. Barcelonette to St. Veran and Queyras 30 

„ E. Castel Delrino to Guilestre, by Col de L^nget and Col de Cristillan . 31 

„ F. Castel Delrino to Queyras, by Ponte Chiauale 32 

Section 5. 
WALDENSiAN DISTRICT. 

Rte. A. Pinerolo to Mont Dauphin — Col de la Croix 34 

„ B. Pinerolo to Cesanne — Col de Sestrieres 35 

„ C. La Tour de Luserne to Perouse, by Val Angrogna . . . .37 

„ D. Perouse to Abries, by the Col d'Abries 37 

ft E. Perouse to Pragelas Val de Massel « i; 8 

„ F. Perouse to Cesanne, by Rodoret 38 

Section 6. 
GENEVRE DISTRICT. 

Rte. A. Susa to Briancon — the Mont Genevre . . . . .39 

„ B. Queyras to Briancon, by Col dTzouard 40 

„ C. Abries to Cesanne 4L 

"„ D. Briancon to St. Michel — Col de Galibier . . , . .41 

„ E. Briancon to Modane — Mont Thabor 42 

„ F. Modane to Cesanne — Tunnel through the Alps . . . .45 



CONTENTS. xiii 

Section 7. 
CENIS DISTRICT. 

PAGE 

Rte. A. Chambery to Turin — Mont Cenis 40 

„ B. Susa to Bessans — - Roche Melon 52 

„ C. Bramans to Susa — Col du Clapier 53 

„ D. Bramans to Exilles — Mont d'Ambin 58 
„ E. Bardonneche to Bramans, by Rochemolle . » ■. . .58 



CHAPTER III. 
DAUPHINE ALPS* 

Section 8» 
OISANS DISTRICT. 

Rte. A Brian 9on to Grenoble — Col du Lautaret . , ' ■. » ■.. .62 

„ B. La Grave en Oisans to St* Jean de Maurienne — Col de 1'Infernet , 66 

„ C. Bourg d'Oisans to St* Jean de Maurienne 67 

„ D. Bourg d'Oisans to La Chambre 68 

„ E. Bourg d'Oisans to Allevard — Les Sept Laux . * . .70 

„ F. Allevard to La Chambre — Pic du Frene * * . » .72 

Section 9. 
PELVOUX DISTRICT. 

Rte. A. Bourg d'Oisans to La Berarde-^- Valley of the Veneon t ■. .73 

„ B. Guilestre to Vallouise — Ascent of the Mont Pelvoux . . .76 

„ C. La Berarde to Vallouise, by the Col des Ecrins * . . .79 

„ D. La Berarde to Vallouise, by the Col de la Tempe . . > . .81 

„ E. La Berarde to Vallouise^ by the Col du Sele . * . . .81 
„ F. La Berarde to Vallouise, by the Val Godemar, Col du Sais, Col du 

CeMar . » . . 82 

„ G. Vallouise to La Grave en Oisans — Col du Glacier Blanc . . 83 

„ H. Vallouise to Monestier — Col de TEchauda 84 

„ I. La Grave en Oisans to St. Christophe Col de la Selle . . .85 

„ K. Vallouise to Em bran, by the Valleys of the Hautes Alpes . . 85 

„ L. Bourg d'Oisans to Grenoble, by La Mure* * > » . .86 

„ M. La Mare to La Chappelle in Val Godemar - * * . .88 



CHAPTER IV. 
SOUTH SAVOY ALPS. 

Section 10. 
CHAMBERY DISTRICT. 

Rte. A. Paris to Chambery — Lake of Bourget 91 

„ B. Grenoble to Chambery, by the right bank of the Isere . . .93 
„ C. Grenoble to Chambery, by Montmelian . . . . .95 



xiv 



CONTEXTS. 



PAGE 



Rte. D. Chambery to the Baths of Allevard 96 

E. Chambery to Uriage — Ascent of the Belledonne . . . .98 
,, F. Chamberv to Grenoble, by the Grande Chartreuse .... 100 
„ G. Chambery to Pont de Beauvoisin, by Aiguebellette . . . . 103 
H. Aix les Bains to Chatelard — Beauges Mountains .... 105 

„ I. Chatelard to Chamberv 106 

„ K. Chatelard to Albertville 108 

•„ L. Chatelard to Annecy . . , . , , . , 108 

Section 11. 
TARENTAISE DISTRICT. 

Rte. A. Chambery to Bourg St. Maurice . . . . . . .110 

„ B. Bourg St. Maurice to Lanslebourg, by the Col d'lseran . . . 113 
„ C. Tignes to Moutiers Tarentaise, or Bourg St. Maurice, by the Col du 

Palet — Ascent of the Mont Pound 117 

„ D. Tignes to Lanslebourg, by the Col de la Leisse .... 120 
„ E, Moutiers Tarentaise to Lanslebourg, by the Col de la Vanoise — 

Ascent of the Grande Casse . 120 

„ F. Pralognan to Modane, by the Col de Chaviere, or Col d'Aussois . 124 
,. G. St. Michel to Moutiers Tarentaise ....... 126 

., H. St. Jean de Maurienne to Moutiers Tarentaise, by the Col de la 

Platiere , 127 

„ I. La Chambre to Moutiers Tarentaise or Albertville, by the Col de la 

Madeleine . , . , . . . . . . .128 

Section 12. 
ALBERTVILLE DISTRICT. 

Rte. -A. Albertville to Sallanches — Mont Joli . . . . . . 129 

,, B. Albertville to Annecy 130 

C. Annecy to Bonneville 132 

„ D. Annecy to Sallanches or Cluses . 133 

,, E. Albertville to St. Gervais, by the Valley of Beaufort . . . 131 

„ F. Albertville to Bourg St. Maurice, by Beaufort 135 

„ G. St. Maxime de Beaufort to Moutiers Tarentaise . . . . 136 



CHAPTER V. 
GRAIAN ALPS. 

Section 13. 
LEVANNA DISTRICT. 



Rte. A. Turin to Lanslebourg, by Lanzo and Groscavallo . ... . 139 

„ B. Bonneval to Ceresole — Ascent of the Levanna .... 141 

., C. Ceresole to Lanzo and Turin, by the Col della Crocetta . . . 143 

„ D. Lanzo to Lanslebourg, by Ala and the Col du Collarin . . . J43 

„ E. Lanzo to Lanslebourg, by Viii . 145 

„ F. Passes to and from the Val di Viii 146 



CONTENTS, 



XV 



Section 14. 
PARADIS DISTRICT. 

PAGE 

Rte. A. Turin to Aosta, by the Val Soanaand Val de Cogne Ascent of the 



Grivola 148 

„ B. Aosta to Cogne, by the Becea di Nona and Col d'Arbole . . . 153 

„ C. Aosta to Cogne, by the Mjont Emilius and the Val de Grauson . 155 

„ D. Cogne to Bard, by the Fenetre de Cogne ...... 156 

„• E. Ponte to Tignes, by the Col de Galese ...... 157 

„ F. Ceresole to Villeneuve in Val d' Aosta — Ascent of the Grand Paradis 159 

„ G P Cogne to Ceresole Col de Grancrou . . . t , . 162 

Section 15. 
RUITOR DISTRICT. 

Rte. A. Bourg St. Maurice to Aosta — Pass of the Little St. Bernard . . 163 

„ B. La Thuile to Sainte Foi— Ascent of the Ruitor . . . .166 

„ C. Ivrogne to Sainte Foi, by the Val Grisanche . . . . . 169 

„ D. Tignes to Aosta, by the Col de Gailietta and the Val de Rhemes . 171 



CHAPTER VI, 
PENNINE ALPS. 

Section 16. 
MONT BLANC DISTRICT. 



Rte. A, Paris t© Chamouni, by Geneva — Excursions from Chamouni , 177 

„ B. Chamouni to Courmayeur, by the Col du Bonhomme . . . 194 

„ C. Sallanches to Contamines and Courmayeur, by St. Gervais . .201 

„ D. Courmayeur to Contamines, by the Col de Trelatete . , . 203 

„ E Ghamouni to Courmayeur, by the Col de Miage ..... 204 

„ F. Chamouni to Courmayeur, by the Col du Geant ..... 206 

„ G. Ascent of Mont Blanc . " 209 

„ H. Chamouni to Martigny 216 

„ I. Chamouni to Orsieres, by the Col de Champey .... 219 

„ K. Orsieres to Courmayeur, by the Col de Ferrex .... 220 

„ L. Chamouni to Orsieres, by the Col d'Argentiere . . . .221 

M M. Chamouni to Orsieres, by Jthe Glacier du Tour . .... 223 

Section 17. 
SIXT DISTRICT, 

Rte. A. Geneva to Sixt, by Tanninges 225 

„ B. Geneva to Sixt, by Cluses, or St. Martin 228 

„ C. Sixt to Chamouni, by Servoz 229 

„ D. Sixt to Chamouni — Ascent of the Buet 230 

„ E. Sixt to Martigny, by Salvent 232 

„ F. Samoens to Champery and Monthey 234 

„ G. Sixt to Champery 235 



CONTENTS. 



PAGE 



Kte. H. Champery to Martigny — Ascent of the Dent du Midi . . . 286 

„ I. Geneva to St. Maurice, by Thonou 237 

„ K. Bonneville to Thonon 239 

,, L. Thonon to Samoens . . .241 

„ M. Thonon to Champer}', or to Monthey . ... 241 

Section 18. 
GREAT ST. BERNARD DISTRICT. 

Rte. A. Geneva to Aosta, by Martigny and the Great St. Bernard . . 244 
„ B. Hospice of the Great St. Bernard to Courmayeur .... 254 
„ C. St. Pierre to Aosta, by the Col de Menouve — Ascent of the Mont 

Velan 255 

„ D. Martigny to Aosta, by the Yal de Bagnes and the Col de Fenetre . 257 
,, E. Chables to St Pierre, by the Col de la Maison Blanche — Ascent of 

the Grand Combin 260 

., F. St. Pierre to Chermontane. by the Col de Sonadon * 263 
„ G. Aosta to Zermatt, bv the Val Pellina and the Col de la ValPellina 264 

„ H. St. barthelemi to the Val Pellina . . 267 

„ I. Prarayen to Val Tournanche, or Breuil, by the Col de Vacornere — 

Ascent of the Chateau des Dames 2G8 

„ K. Chermontane to Praraven, bv the Glacier d'Otemma — Ascent of 

the Mont Gele . 269 

,. L. Chermontane to Evolena, by the Col de Chermontane . . . 272 
„ M. Chermontane to Evolena, or to Here'mence, by the Col du Mont Rouge 273 

Section 19. 

EVOLENA DISTRICT. 

Rte. A. Sion to Aosta, by the Val d'Herens and Col de Collon . . . 275 

„ B. Evolena to Prarayen, by the Col des Bouqnetins .... 278 

„ C Sion to the Val de Bagnes, by the Val d'Heremence . . . 279 

„ D. Evolena to Zermatt, by the Col d'Herens— Ascent of the Dent Blanche 280 

„ E. Sierre to Zermatt, by the Val d*Anniviers and the Trif't Joch . 282 

„ F. Zinal to Zermatt, by the Col Durand, or Col de la Dent Blanche . 285 

,, G. Evolena to Vissoie, by the Val de Torrent 286 

„ H. Evolena to Zinal, by the Col de Sorebois 287 

„ I. Vissoie to Turtman^ by the Pas de Bceuf and the Turtman Thai . 288 

„ K. St. Luc to St. Niklaus, by the Z'meiden Pass and the Jung Joch . 289 

Section 20. 
MONTE ROSA DISTRICT. 

Rte. A. Visp to Zermatt^- Excursions from Zermatt 292 

„ B. Zermatt to Ivrea, by the Val Tournanche — Col de St. Theodule — 

Breithorn — Matterhorn > 305 

„ C. Zermatt to Verrex, by the Schwarz Thor and the Val d'Ayas . 309 
„ D. Zermatt to Pont St. Martin, by the Lys Joch, or Zwillinge Joch, 

and the Val de Lys . . oil 

„ E. Zermatt to Varallo,* by the Sesia Joch and the Val Sesia . . 314 
„ F. Zermatt to Vogogna, by the Weiss Thor and the Val Anzasca . 318 
G. Tour of Monte Rosa, ty the High Glacier Passes .... 322 
„ H. Valtournanche to Macugnaga, by the Middle Passes . , . . 324 

„ I. Aosta to Ponte Grande, bv the Lower Passes 327 

„ K. Ivrea to Orta, by B;ella 330 

„ L. Orta to Ponte Grande, by the Val Mastalone .... 332 

„ M. Orta to Ponte Grande, by the Val Strona 333 

„ N. VisD to Macugnaga, by the Monte Moro 333 

„ O. Saas to Zermatt, by the Saas Grat » 336 

„ P. Saas to St. Niklaus* by the Ried Pass 339 



CONTENTS. 



xvii 



Section 21. 
SIMPLON DISTRICT. 

PAGE 

Rte. A. Martigny to Arona — Pass of the Simplon . . . . 341 

„ B. Domo d'Ossola to Arona, by Orta . 349 

„ C. Saas to the Simplon Hospice — Ascent of the Fletschhorn . . 350 
„ D. Saas to Tsella by the Zwischbergen Pass— Ascent of the Weissmies 350 

„ E. Saas to Domo d'Ossola, by the ValBugnanco Sol 

„ F. Saas to Domo d'Ossola, by the Val Antrona 352 



Index of Peaks or Mountains 353 

Index to the Mountain Passes 357 

General Index 361 



a 



LIST OF MAPS. 



Key Map .... To be pasted inside the cover at the beginning 



The Western Alps — General Map To face title-page 

The Dauphine Alps „ 62 

The Graian Alps ,,139 

The Mountains of Cogne from Mont Emilius ) 

> n 151 

The Pennine Alps from the Becca di Nona ) 

Mont Blanc ,,177 

Monte Rosa „ 290 

The Western Alps— Geological at end 



INTBODUCTION. 



+ 



Art. X. — Preliminary Information. 

Passports. — Money. — Custom-House Regulations. — Measures. — 
Electric Telegraph. — Post-Offices. 

Passports. — English travellers are not now required to produce passports 
in France, Italy, or Switzerland, and in the Austrian States they are rarely 
called for, except on passing the frontier. Notwithstanding these changes, 
it is very unwise to travel without a document, which throughout the Conti- 
nent is the legal mode of establishing the identity of the bearer. At Post- 
ofBces and other public establishments it is convenient, if not indispensable; 
and at a time when political refugees, and persons charged with graver 
offences, are objects of suspicion, or it may be of arrest, those who may 
sutler by mistakes as to identity have no reason to complain if they neglect 
the best means for securing themselves against such accidents. 

Passports are procured at the Foreign Office, Downing Street, by leaving 
or sending a recommendation from a member of Parliament, or banker, or a 
certificate of identity signed and sealed by a magistrate, clergyman, solicitor, 
or surgeon. The passport is delivered on the following day upon applica- 
tion, either personally or by message, and the payment of a fee of 2s. The 
application must state the name in full of each male member of the family, 
and ihat of each man-servant ; but where there is any probability of mem- 
bers of the same party separating, it is better that they should be provided 
with separate passports. The passport should always be carried on the 
person, as the few occasions when it may be required can rarely be foreseen. 
The visa of a minister of each foreign btate in which the bearer intended to 
travel was formerly indispensable, but this is no longer required, except for 
the Austrian dominions. It is best to procure this at the Austrian Embassy 
in London — Chandos House, Cavendish Square — where the visa is given 
gratis between 12 and 2 o'clock daily. In default of this precaution, the 
visa may be obtained in any capital city of the Continent where an Austrian 
minister is accredited, in which case the previous visa of the British minister 
to the same Court is required. There are several Passport Agency Offices 
in London where the whole business of obtaining the passport, and any need- 
ful visas, is transacted for a small fee. This is especially convenient for 
persons residing in the country. 

Money. — The coinage of Switzerland and Italy has now been assimilated 
to that of France, and accounts are kept in francs and centimes. The 

a 2 



XX 



INTRODUCTION. 



consequence is, that the best coin for travellers to carry In those countries is 
the French gold Napoleon of 20 francs. It is often convenient to procure 
Napoleons in London before starting for a journey, and the exchange is 
usually rather more favourable than on the Continent, varying from 25 fr. 
10 c. to 25 fr. 25 c. for the pound sterling. Exchange offices, at which the 
fair rate of Exchange is given, are — for the west end of London, Messrs. 
Smart, 69 Princes Street, Coventry Street ; for the east end, Messrs. Spiel- 
inann & Co., 79 Lombard Street. 

English sovereigns and bank of England notes can be exchanged in most 
towns on the Continent, and are generally taken by the principal hotel- 
keepers, but in many parts of Italy and Germany they are little known, and 
are not readily taken at their true value. 

In Piedmont and Lombardy old pieces of silver alloy, worth 40 centimes 
and 20 centimes, are still in circulation. 

In the Austrian States the coinage has undergone many changes during 
the last 20 years. The present coinage consists of - silver florins, closely 
agreeing in value and appearance with the English two-shilling piece, and 
of quarter florins, corresponding in value to the English sixpence, but of 
larger size. This silver coinage is found in circulation only in the Venetian 
Provinces of Austria, and within that territory the smaller subdivisions are 
supplied by a special copper coinage not current elsewhere. The florin is 
divided into 100 soldi, and pieces in alloyed metal of 10 and 5 soldi supply 
the intermediate steps between the soldo and the florin and quarter florin. 
It may be remarked that the soldo and 10 soldi pieces correspond exactly 
with the mill and cent of the proposed decimal division of the pound 
sterling. It is remarkable that in Switzerland, in Austria, and in most parts 
of Italy, the coinage has been changed within the last few years without any 
appearance of the inconvenience and dissatisfaction that have been appre- 
hended in this country by the opponents of change. 

In the Tyrol and the Austrian districts of the Eastern Alps, the place of 
the silver florin is taken by paper money. The Government notes which 
usually represent the value of 1 florin, 5 florins, or 10 florins, being incon- 
vertible, are depreciated to an extent that has varied of late years from 8 to 
20 per cent. Strangers, arriving with a supply of silver money, are liable to 
lose the advantage of the difference of value between this and paper money 
if they omit to exchange their silver for whatever amount of bank notes they 
are likely to require. In the German provinces of Austria the florin, or 
gulden, is divided into 60 kreutzers. 

Accounts in the Tyrol are s*ill sometimes kept in gulden schein, a 
description of depreciated money which has long ceased to have legal exist- 
ence, but which survives in the reckoning of the country people. In this 
system the florin was gradually reduced in value till worth about lOd. Eng- 
lish, and the kreutzer the 6th part of a penny. When a demand is made 
that seems unreasonable, the best plan is to assume that it is made in schein, 
and to enquire how much the sum named will make in bank notes. 

In Bavaria the current coin is the new German florin, worth rather more 
than 2 francs, or about 1a*. &%d. English, each florin being divided into 
60 kreutzers. 

A little experience teaches travellers the importance of being always pro- 
vided with small coins of the country, and when it is possible to procure a 



PRELIMINARY INFORMATION. 



xxi 



supply before arriving at the frontier, it is generally both convenient and 
economical to do so. 

Circular Notes for sums of £10 and upwards are issued by many of the 
London Joint Stock and Private Banks, and may be cashed in most of the 
chief towns on the Continent, By taking the precaution of keeping the 
notes separate from the letter which accompanies them, the holder is secure 
from ultimate loss, though not from inconvenience in the event of losing the 
one or the other. The correspondents of the English bankers to whom 
these letters are addressed in France, Italy, or Switzerland, usually give 
pretty nearly the current rate of exchange, clear of any charge for com- 
mission. According to the writer's experience the same cannot be said in 
South Germany, and he has found it a far more economical plan to travel in 
that country with French gold, which can be changed in every town at the 
current rate of exchange, and to avoid dealings with bankers. 

Custom- House Regulations. — The regulations affecting travellers are not 
usually very strict; the examination of luggage at most foreign Custom- 
houses is now little more than a formality, and is often confined to one or 
two out of a large number of packages. Of the articles generally carried by 
travellers, cigars and dresses of cotton or woollen material, not made up, are 
those usually liable to duty. As a general rule, it is much better to declare 
such articles. A small number of cigars may usually be taken free. In 
sending heavy luggage from one place to another, it should not be forgotten 
that whenever it passes from one State to another it is liable to examination 
at the frontier. The keys should be attached in such a way as to be acces- 
sible to the Custom-house officers. 

As a general rule, official persons on the Continent are civil and obliging 
when treated with the courtesy to which they are accustomed. Both in 
Italy and Austria this holds almost universally. In Prussia, and at times in 
France, the case is otherwise; and the temper of the traveller is tried by the 
rudeness of underlings. But unless the case be serious enough, and the 
facts sufficiently plain, to call for a complaint to the official superior, a wise 
traveller will disregard misconduct which he cannot resent effectually, and 
which it is undignified to meet by an unavailing show of anger. These sub- 
ordinate officials often have it in their power to cause great annoyance to a 
stranger, while he is powerless as regards them, and he will do best to avoid 
an unequal encounter. 

Measures. — To the traveller, and even to the readers of books of travel or 
scientific works, the want of an uniform system of measures among civilized 
nations is a constant source of inconvenience. The gradual extension on the 
Continent of the French metrical system, which, though not free from defects, 
is the best yet adopted by any government, has mitigated without removing 
this source of annoyance. In the territory included in this work several 
systems adopted by government authority, and several old measures, are still 
in use among the country people. 

The measures most needed by a traveller are here given with their equi- 
valents in English standard measure : a complete list would be beyond the 
scope of the present work. 



xxii INTRODUCTION. 

French Measures. 

1 Metre = 3*2809 Eng. feet = 3 ft. 3§ in. very nearly 

1 Decimetre ... = 3 937 Eng. in. = 3 in. 1 1 lines nearly. 

1 Millimetre ... = -03937 Eng. in. = ^ line nearly. 

1 Kilometre ... = 3280*9 Eng. feet = o furlongs, less by 6^- yards. 

1 Myriametre ... = 1 kilometres ... = 6 miles 1 furlong 156 yards. 

1 Hectare = I0,0<>0sq.metres = 2 acres 1 rood 35 perches very nearly. 

1 Old Paris Foot = 1*066 Eng. foot = 1 ft. 9| lines, or 1^ ft. nearly. 

1 Lieuede Poste = 4 kilometres ... = 2? miles, less by 25 yards. 

1 Kilogramme ... — 2*204 lbs. avdps. = 2 lbs. 3 \ ozs. nearly. 



The Paris foot, though it has long ceased to have legal currency in France, 
is still used in works printed elsewhere, and the heights of mountains, &c, 
on many of the maps of Switzerland are given in this measure. 

Swiss Measures. 

1 Swiss foot .. = 3 decimetres ... = 11 inches 10 lines nearly. 

1 New Swiss Stunde = 16.000 Swiss feet = 3 miles, less by 92 feet. 

1 Swiss Post = 3 Stimden = 9 miles, less by 92 yards. 

1 Old Swiss Stunde = 5375*5 metres ... = 3 miles 2 furlongs 153 yards. 
1 Swiss pound = ^ kilogramme ... = 1 lb. 1 J oz. nearly. 

The old Swiss Stunde, still used by the country people in many parts of 
the country, represents more nearly than the new measure the average distance 
travelled in an hour by a man on foot over a moderately rough country road. 

Italian Measures. 
1 Piedmontese mile = 2466*08 metres ... = 1^ miles 57 yards. 

1 Italian mile = 1851*85 metres ... = 1 mile 1 furlong 45 yards. 

1 Italian post = 8 Italian miles ... =9 miles 1 furlong 142 yards. 

The metrical system has been introduced within the last few years, but a 
variety of local measures are still used. The Piedmontese mile is confined 
to the west and north of Piedmont ; throughout the rest of the north of 
Italy the Italian or geographical mile is in general use. 



Austrian Measures. 
1 Vienna foot ... = -3161 metre ... = 1 foot 5| lines or 1^ feet nearly. 

1 Klafter = 1*8966 metre ... = 6 feet 2 inches 8 lines. 

1 Austrian mile = 4,000 Klafter ... = 4 miles 5 furlongs 157 yards. 
1 Austrian post = 2 Austrian miles = 9 miles 3 furlongs 93 yards. 
1 Vienna pound = *56 kilogramme = 1 lb. 3foz, nearly. 



Electric Telegraph. — Travellers are not so fully aware of the convenience 
afforded by the electric telegraph as they probably will be hereafter. In no 
country is the telegraph so extensively in use as in Switzerland. All the 
towns, and many smaller places, are now connected together, and for one 
franc a short message may be sent by which rooms are secured, or any other 
requisite provision made in anticipation of the traveller's arrival. During 
the crowded season, when ladies are of the party, it is always expedient to 
write or telegraph for rooms. 

The telegraph is also available in many parts of the X. of Italy, along the 
main roads in Austria, and in the French Alps. 



ROUTES FOR APPROACHING THE ALPS. 



xxiii 



Post Offices. — Serious inconvenience and anxiety is sometimes caused hy 
the non-receipt of letters addressed to travellers on the Continent. The 
cases of failure of letters sent from the Continent to England are much less 
common, and rarely happen to persons who take the trouble of carrying thei" 
own letters to the post-office, and not trusting them to waiters and messen- 
gers. The French post-office rules are needlessly strict, and the clerks often 
disobliging and rude, after the fashion of French officials ; but letters very 
rarely go astray. The Italian practice is, on the contrary, too lax. Letters 
are often given to any stranger who chooses to apply, without a passport or 
other evidence of identity ; and, in the case of foreigners, a parcel of letters 
is sometimes handed to the applicant, who may take from it such as he thinks 
proper to claim. The German post-offices do not often give cause for com- 
plaint when letters are very clearly addressed, except that delay sometimes 
occurs which is attributed to the curiosity of the police. The worst 
managed post-offices in Europe, unless a great reform has been very recently 
effected, are those of Switzerland. Instances of scandalous carelessness and 
neglect have been so common as to be a serious drawback on the pleasure of 
travelling in that country. 

As a general rule the safest plan is to have letters addressed to the care 
of a banker in any city where the traveller intends to receive money ; or else 
to some well-known hotel, where the traveller is already known, or to which 
he writes, announcing his arrival, and requesting that his letters may be 
taken in and kept until he shall claim them. Unless this precaution be taken 
it is better to have letters addressed Poste Restante. In remote places in the 
Alps it sometimes happens that the village where the traveller puts up is a 
dependency of some more important place in the same valley, and that letters 
addressed Poste Restante are retained at the chief office. 

The facility for forwarding luggage safely from one place to another, 
addressed to the Poste Restante, is of great convenience to Alpine travellers. 
The charge is generally very moderate ; but not so in Switzerland, where 30 
or 40 francs are sometimes payable for a single portmanteau sent from one 
town to another. 

It is now generally known that it is better to avoid the addition 1 Esquire,' 
in addressing persons on the Continent, and that to avoid confusion it is 
advisable always to add the Christian name, with the French prefix 'Monsieur' 
or 4 Madame: ' e.g., ' Monsieur Eobert Smith 1 — 1 Madame Sarah Brown.' 



Art. XX. — Routes for approaching: tiie Alps. 

It is true that a person travelling by railway sees less of the country 
through which he goes than those who travel with post horses along a road, 
yet it may be safely asserted that no class has profited more by the extension 
of railways than tourists in the Alps. To that large majority who are limited 
either as to time or money, the means of crossing half Europe with an out- 
lay of but 24 hours in time, and a trifling expenditure of money, very often 
makes a tour possible which otherwise would never have been undertaken. 
The extension of railways on both sides of the Alps has not merely enabled 
strangers to approach the Alps with little loss of time, but has greatly increased 
the facilities for passing from one part of the chain to another ; so that a 



xxiv 



INTRODUCTION. 



traveller may now combine in a single tour visits to several different and 
distant districts, allotting to each of them a fair share of time, and expending 
but very little upon the intermediate space. As every traveller will refer to 
the latest railway guide for the latest information as to hours of starting and 
arrival, the fares, and other particulars regarding each line by which he 
means to travel, we shall here do no more than direct attention to the chief 
lines of railway by which various parts of the chain of the Alps may con- 
veniently be approached. 

The most direct route from London to most parts of the Alps is by Pari?. 
To reach Savoy or the south of Switzerland the shortest way from Paris is 
by the Lyons railway as far as Macon, and thence by Amberieu to the Culoz 
Junction station. Here the original line is carried on to Geneva, while the 
Victor Emmanuel railway passes southward to Chambery, and to St. Michel, 
the present terminus of the line, which is destined to traverse the Alps by 
the tunnel near Modane. There is but one direct train daily from Paris for 
Geneva or Chambery. This is the night express, starting at 8 p.m., and 
carrying none but first-class passengers as far as Macon. Geneva is reached 
in 14J hrs., Chambery in about 15 hrs,, and St. Michel in about 17^ hrs. 
Those who dislike night travelling may leave Paris at 11.5 a.m., on the 
preceding day, sleep at Macon, and take the train there at 5.30 a.m., on the 
following morning. 

By one or other of the two lines here mentioned the traveller may within 
24 hrs. from Paris reach almost any point in the main valleys of the Alps of 
Savoy or South Switzerland. St. Michel is about the centre of the valley 
of the Arc, and the diligences to Turin take passengers on to Modane or 
Lanslebourg (§7). The junction of the valley of the Arc with that of the 
Isere is close to the Chamousset station, and a traveller finds there a diligence 
or omnibus by which he may at once proceed to Albertville, Moutiers, or 
Bourg St. Maurice (§ 7). 

Arriving at Geneva before H o'clock, the traveller anxious to proceed at 
once on his way, may easily reach Sallanehes, St. Gervais, or Samoens, on 
the same evening, and, if in hot haste, may even arrive at Chamouni before 
the night is far advanced. Taking the train by the Ouest Suisse railway, 
which starts at 11.30 a.m., he may not only establish himself in some of the 
tempting spots to be found on the Lake of Geneva, but may reach before 
night many of the chief places in the valley of the Rhone and its lateral 
valleys. Thus Champery is accessible from Bex (§ 17), and Orsieres from 
Martigny (§ 18), or by sleeping at Sion, the present terminus of the railway, 
or at Sierre, or Turtman, which may be reached by road, the traveller may, 
on the following day, find himself, in the very heart of the Pennine chain at 
Evolena, Zinal, or Zermatr, unless his aim be the range of the Bernese Alps, 
in which case he will, with equal ease, reach Kandersteg or An der Lenk. 

If the Dauphine Alps be the first object of the tour, the most direct 
course will be from Paris to Lyons, and thence to Grenoble, 13 hrs. 35 min. 
from Paris by the express night train. There is no difficulty in at once 
continuing the journey to Bourg d'Oisans (§ 8), or La Mure '(§ 9). Uriage 
is also most easily reached from Grenoble; but Allevard (§ 10) is more con- 
veniently accessible from Montmelian on the railway from Chambery to 
St. Michel. 

A line of railway, which will be found of much importance to Alpine 



ROUTES FOR APPROACHING THE ALPS. 



XXV 



travellers, is that which connects Paris with Neuchatel by Dijon, Salins, and 
Pontarlier. The railway from Dijon to JSTeuchatel via Salins is open 
throughout. The trains from Paris takes 13 J- hrs. This is the most direct 
route for English travellers bound for the Bernese Alps or the Lake of 
Geneva. 

At present the shortest route from Paris to most parts of Switzerland is 
by Bale. Formerly it was necessary to make a long detour by Strasbourg, 
but a more direct line by Troyes, Langres, and Mulhouse, has been open for 
the last few years. By the only quick train, which is the night express, 
Bale is 13 hrs. 10 min. from Paris, and there is time to reach almost all the 
easily accessible points in the Alps of central and northern Switzerland in 
the course of the following day, by the branches of the Central Swiss 
railway diverging from Olten, and leading to Thun, Lucerne, or Zurich. 

Although the shortest way from London is by Paris, since Bale is reached 
in 26 hrs., a majority of travellers prefer the far more interesting route by 
Belgium and the Rhine. Those who are not much pressed for time allow at 
least three days between London and Switzerland. Leaving London at 
8.30 p.m., and taking the steamer from Dover to Ostend, they reach Cologne 
soon after 4 p.m., and can either spend the evening there, visiting the 
cathedral, or go on to Bonn. The next day is spent in the Rhine steamer, 
sleeping at Mayence or Frankfort. On the third day Bale is reached by 
railway at 4.39 p.m., in time to continue the journey to Berne, Lucerne, or 
Zurich on the same evening. Since the opening of the Rhine railway from 
Cologne to Mayence, those who travel by this route may save a day at the 
cost of seeing little or nothing of the scenery of the Rhine. A train starts 
from Cologne at 5.15 p.m.. reaching Mayence at 10,10 p.m. Taking the 
train next morning to Ludwigshafen at 7.15 a.m., and crossing the Rhine 
to Mannheim, the traveller catches the express train to Bale at 9.55 a.m., 
and reaches Berne, Lucerne, or Zurich in less than 50 hrs. from London, 
passing the first night on board the Ostend steamer, and the second at 
Mayence. 

Eastward of Bale the next main line of approach to the Alps is by tbe 
Lake of Constance. Two lines of railway reach the shore of the lake. 
The Wurtemberg railway, whose terminus is at Friedrichshafen, carries 
passengers from the N. and NW. ; the Bavarian Railway, ending atLindau. 
is the route for those coming from the centre and east of Germany. For 
travellers from England the advantage in point of time is still with the route 
through Paris ; but the difference is not great, and the expense is greater. 
Leaving Paris by the night express, travellers reach Strasbourg at 7.30 a.m. 
There is just time to breakfast, and to reach the Kehl station in time for 
the so-called express train (very slow), starting at 9 a.m., passing the 
Bruchsal Junction about 11.30, and arriving at Stuttgart at 1.45 p.m. After 
a halt of 2^ hrs. the train for Friedrichshafen leaves Stuttgart at 4.15, 
and reaches its destination at 10.45 p m., in about 26J hrs. from Paris. 

By the Cologne route, a traveller who has left London at 8.30 p.m., and 
reached Mayence at 10.10 on the following evening, may arrive at 
Friedrichshafen by the late train on the following day in 50£ hrs. from 
London, spending two or three hours on the way in Frankfort, Heidelberg, 
or Stuttgart. Passengers less hurried, who have reached Heidelberg on 
the second day from London, and start at 5.15 a.m. on the following 



xxvi 



INTRODUCTION. 



morning, arrive at Friedrichshafen in time to cross the Lake of Constance, 
and take the evening train from Rorschach to Coire, which in this way is 
17£ hrs. from Heidelberg. 

Passengers from the north or east of Germany, taking the express train 
from Augsburg at 7.25 a.m., reach Lindau at 12.30, and proceeding by 
steamer to Rorschach, may arrive at Coire at 7.20 p.m. 

The steamers on the Lake of Constance, plying f«>ur or five times a day 
between the towns on its banks, and connected with the German and Swiss 
railways, otfer great facilities for travellers, in whatever part of the Alps 
their destination may lie. Besides the direct line to Coire, there is easy 
communication with Zurich and the W. of Switzerland, while by landing at 
the Austrian port of Bregenz they may enter the Tyrol by the road of the 
Voralberg. 

Tlie most direct route to the Tyrol is, however, by Munich and Inns- 
bruck. Munich may be reached in about 24 hrs. from Paris by way of 
Strasbourg, Bruchsal, and Ulm, and in less than 14 hrs. from Frankfort- on- 
the-Main, or 1 hr. more if the AschafFenburg line be reached from Mayence 
instead of Frankfort. Travellers arriving at Munich by the express train 
at 8.30 p.m. may go on at once to Rosenheim — the junction station for 
Innsbruck — or to Salzburg. The distance from Rosenheim to Innsbruck 
is less than 4 hrs. by railway ; but the trains seem to be ill-arranged, and 
there is usually much delay at the Austrian frontier station of Kufstein. 

The railway from Vienna to Trieste may be said throughout the greater 
part of its course to skirt the eastern extremity of the chain of the Alps, and 
therefore serves as the most convenient route for travellers proceeding 
to the Styrian or Carinthian Alps. For some reason not intelligible to 
ordinary understandings, the management of railways not being regulated 
by simple motives of public convenience, the direct line from England and 
NW. Germany to Vienna, by Nuremburg, Ratisbon, and Passau, is not 
available for travellers who object to delay at each of those stations, and 
passengers from Frankfort or Mayence are forced to make a long detour by 
Augsburg and Munich, employing 28|- hrs. from Mayence, and an hour less 
from Frankfort. Gratz is reached in 6 hrs. from Vienna by express train, 
and Marburg on the Drave in hr. more. 

The same line of radway from Vienna to Trieste, with the branch con- 
necting it with Venice, Milan, and Turin, by Goritz, Udine, and Treviso, 
offers a convenient means for connecting a tour in the Eastern Alps with a 
visit to to the lakes and valleys of Lombardy and Piedmont. 

It is on the southern side of the main chain of the Alps that the mountain 
traveller derives the greatest advantage from railway communication. All 
the principal valleys open into the main valley of the Po. For the western 
half of the chain Turin forms a natural centre of communication, which is 
now connected with seven towns at the opening of as many different valleys, 
namely, Cuneo, Saluzzo, Pinerolo, Susa, Ivrea, Bieda, and Arona. It is 
thus easy to pass in a few hours from any one of these places to the other, 
thus avoiding the delay and inconvenience of a hot journey by' road across 
the plain. Other lines, connecting the plains with the southern valleys of 
the Alps, are in progress. At present there are opened the lines from 
Milan to Como by Monza, and to Lecco, by Bergamo, and the important 
line from Verona to Botzen, by which the traveller, starting in the morning 



PLAN OF A TOUR. 



XXV ii 



from the plain of Italy, may reach before night the heart of the Tyrol 
Alps. 

Railways on the Continent differ much in respect to the relative comfort, 
or discomfort, of the second-class carriages. In Italy and Germany they 
are usually well fitted-up, and are often used by travellers of the higher 
class, and sometimes, though less commonly, by ladies. In Belgium they 
are less comfortable, and the same is true in France, where, as a general 
rule, express-trains take first-class passengers only. On a long journey it 
is always best to travel in first-class carriages. 



Art. ZZZ. — Plan of a Tour* 

The tastes of travellers in the Alps are too different, and the objects which 
they propose to themselves too various, to make it easy to offer useful advice 
respecting the plan of a tour. The desire to see as many remarkable places 
as possible within a given time is so natural in beginners, that it is useless 
to contend against it. Nothing but experience suffices to prove that to 
derive the fullest and most permanent satisfaction from natural scenery, even 
more than from other sources of aesthetic enjoyment, time is an essential 
element. When the impressions retained after a visit to some chosen district — 
where the same grand objects have been viewed repeatedly and in varied 
combination, under those changeful conditions of sky and colouring that 
constantly succeed each other in mountain countries — are compared with the 
imperfect recollections that remain after a hurried tour, most persons 
discover that they do not in truth make the most of their time when they 
arrange an expedition to the Alps, with a view to do as much as possible 
within a given number of days and weeks. It is gradually ascertained that 
the true plan of a tour in the Alps is to select a succession of places com- 
bining the requisite attractions as head-quarters, and to arrange the journey 
so that as much time as possible shall be devoted to these, while as little as 
possible shall be given to travelling from one to the other. It is true that 
the advantages of such a plan are far more evident to those who are 
fortunate enough to have some pursuit, scientific or artistic, which connects 
itself naturally with their journey. The weather, in mountain countries is 
subject to frequent change, and there are days when the scenery is hidden 
behind a veil of cloud, rain, or snow. To the unemployed tourist inaction 
is so irksome that he prefers to trudge doggedly along an Alpine track, 
seeing nothing of the country, rather than await fair weather in a mountain 
inn ; while to the naturalist or geologist, or other traveller with an occupation, 
such days, if not too frequent, are acceptable as giving time to digest 
and put in order the materials accumulated during preceding mountain 
expeditions. 

This work is designedly arranged so as to direct travellers to the most 
convenient centres in each district of the Alps, and those especially fitted to 
serve as head-quarters are pointed out in the remarks prefixed to each 
section. To these indications, and to the body of the work, travellers of 
some experience are referred. The outline tours prefixed to each division of 
this work are intended mainly for those who wish within a short time to visit 
the most remarkable scenes accessible to persons of moderate strength and 



xxviii 



INTRODUCTION. 



enterprise. Although arranged so as to correspond with the three main 
divisions of the Alpine chain, it is easy to combine portions of one with the 
other, so as to suit individual wants. 



Art. XV. — Modes of Travelling: in the Alps. 

Railways,— In a preceding portion of this Introduction (Art. IT.) most 
of the railwavs that approach, or partially penetrate, the chain of the Alps 
have been referred to. Apart from the facilities they afford for travellers 
arriving from a distance, the Swiss and Italian railway systems are of great 
service to mountain travellers by enabling them with the least possible ex- 
penditure of time and trouble to transfer themselves from one centre of 
interest to another. Few persons will suppose that passing through a 
mountain country in a railway carriage can enable them to form any correct 
idea of its attractions, yet there are a few lines, especially those from Culoz 
to St Michel, from Geneva to Martigny, and from Botzen to Verona, where 
a succession of beautiful pictures is unrolled before the traveller's eyes. 
When going from one place to the other in the order mentioned above, he 
should endeavour to secure a seat on the rt. hand side of the carriage. 
Travelling in the opposite direction he should of course prefer the 1. hand 
seat. 

Steamers— All the principal lakes of the Alps are now traversed by 
steamers. Wherever they exist they offer an easy, speedy, and economical 
mode of travelling of which tourists are not slow to avail themselves. 

Posting. — Since the general extension of railways and steamers has made 
a private carriage a positive incumbrance to the traveller, posting has 
become unusual except on certain lines, such as the passes of the Spliigen 
and Mont Cenis, where, by mutual arrangement between the postmasters, the 
same carriage may betaken throughout. Those who dislike the slow pace of 
voituriers, and do not object to the trouble of changing the carriage at each 
relay, may someiimes with advantage resort elsewhere to posting. In Switz- 
erland, Italy, and the Eastern Alps, especially Bavaria, the carriages found 
at the post stations are generally convenient, and in many large towns a 
carriage may be hired for a tour, and consigned at the end of the time to 
some correspondent of the owner. In Switzerland and the German Alps a 
solitary traveller, with a moderate amount of luggage, may post in a one- 
horse char, at a rate little exceeding the hire of a country vehicle of the 
same description. In Italy there is scarcely a village reached by a road 
where a vehicle of some description may not be easily hired, but it requires 
some experience to resist overcharges. Details respecting the separate 
tariffs are found in the notes prefixed to each division of this work. 

Voiturier (Ital. Vetturino ; Germ. Lohnkutscher). — By these names a class 
of persons entirely unknown in England, but very widely spread over the 
Continent, is designated in France, Italy, and Germany. The profession 
attained its highest development in Italy, and in spite of the interference of 
railways it still flourishes throughout the peninsula. The vetturino, in that 
country is a man who keeps for hire a carriage and horses, with which he is 
prepared at all times to undertake a journey of any extent, and in any 
required direction. The wealthier men of this class often have a large 



MODES OF TRAVELLING IN THE ALPS. 



xxix 



number of vehicles which usually ply along a particular line of road, and in 
that case they are often able to arrange so as to change horses on the way when 
the traveller is pressed for time. As a general rule, however, the vetturino 
makes the entire journey with the same horses, undertaking to supply others 
if his own be disabled, and he should be bound to pay all charges for tolls, 
bridges, extra-cattle attached to the carriage in long ascents^ and all other 
incidental charges. The Swiss voituriers found at Geneva, Berne, Lucerne, 
Coire, &c, are as a class similar to those of Italy, and in both countries 
there is no great difficulty in finding tolerably comfortable carriages and good 
horses. The average distance travelled is from 35 to 45 miles a day, and 
while on the road they travel nearly or quite as fast as post horses, but a 
rest of at least two hours is required in each day's journey. To a party of 
friends travelling through a fine country, and not pressed for time, this is 
often an agreeable mode of travelling, and those who are unable to ride or 
walk may, sometimes with advantage take the same vehicle for the whole, or 
a considerable portion, of their tour. In this case it becomes important to 
select a trustworthy man, and to secure his good conduct by a proper 
agreement. For this purpose as a general rule, it is expedient to obtain the 
advice of the hotel-keeper, or other respectable inhabitant of the town where 
the carriage is hired. 

As a general rule, the Italian vetturino, after the fashion of his country, 
demands considerably more than he means to take, and will have but a mean 
opinion of his employer if the latter does not beat down considerably the sum 
first named. With the exception of this point, which is disagreeable to 
Englishmen, the writer has had little cau>e of complaint against Italian 
vetturini. When once they have ascertained that extortion will be resisted, 
they usually forbear further attempts in that direction, and are remarkably 
civil and good-humoured, doing their best to deserve the gratuity which 
the traveller willingly gives to them at parting. The Swiss voiturier, or 
German lohnkutscher, is usually, though not always, more direct in his deal- 
ings, but is often slow, and obstinate, sometimes sulky and perverse, always 
a much less pleasant fellow than his Italian comrade. The Savoyard is at 
least as anxious to overreach as the Italian, and is besides often disagreeable. 
In the French Alps generally, except on the road between Geneva and 
Chamouni, the facilities for travelling are in all respects inferior to those 
found in the other countries here named. 

The usual charge for a carriage and pair of horses for a short journey of 
one or two days is from 1 franc to 1 shilling per English mile, including 
all extras. For a long journey the fair price is from 25 to 30 fr. per day ; but 
if the carriage be discharged at a distance from home, a demand is made for 
back fare at the same rate. When the road is one much frequented this 
should be resisted, but some extra payment on this account is usually made. 
It is often possible to arrange a tour so as to return to the town whence the 
traveller started, or to its neighbourhood, and this is both economical and 
otherwise convenient, as heavy luggage may be left in the charge of the 
hotel-keeper. For a short journey a written agreement is not necessary, but 
it is well to make the verbal agreement in the presence of the hotel -keeper, 
and to take care that it shall be specific on the point of excluding extra, 
charges on whatever pretext. When it is intended to take the same carriage 
for a longer time, it is prudent to have a written agreement. This should 



XXX 



INTRODUCTION. 



reserve to the traveller the choice of route and inns, and specify the rate of 
payment per day when travelling, with a reduced charge, usually one-half, 
for days of rest. It should always be provided that the traveller shall be at 
liberty to discharge the carriage whenever he pleases, on payment according 
to the time it has been employed, and it is well to add that the carriage shall 
be reserved exclusively for the use of the hirer, as attempts are sometimes 
mode by the driver to take a passenger with him on the driving seat. 

It should be noted that the rate of payment above mentioned is always 
exceeded on the great passes of the Alps, where the voiturier incurs extra 
expense for cattle hired to assist in drawing a heavy carriage in the ascent ; 
and that at times when the traffic is very great, increased rates are often 
successfully demanded elsewhere. A traveller who is able to secure good 
horses and a comfortable carriage for a tour of some length, at the rate of 
40 fr. a day while travelling, and 20 fr. for days of rest, may consider that 
he has made a good bargain. It is often necessary to pay 5 fr. a day 
more than those rates. Although it is well to stipulate that the driver shall 
have no right to demand any gratuity under the head of bonnemain, biiona- 
mano, or trinhgeld, it is always well to let him know that if pleased with his 
services the traveller will, at his own option, make him some moderate extra 
payment at the close. About 2 fr. a day is a reasonable gratuity. 

One of the chief inconveniences of travelling by voiturier arises from the 
various forms of speculation to which it gives rise. Each voiturier is in some 
way connected with numerous innkeepers and other persons, who hope, by 
his aid, to make a profit out of the traveller, and various devices are used to 
induce or compel the traveller to put up at certain inns in preference to 
others. In towns it is always possible to obtain reliable information, and the 
traveller should make his selection for himself ; but at smaller places, where 
the choice is limited, it often happens that the inn patronised by the voiturier 
is in reality the best. It is also not uncommon for voituriers to make private 
arrangements for the transfer of a traveller and his party from one to the 
other. An Englishman is often disposed to object to a bargain of which he is 
himself the object, but the writer has found that unless there be obvious 
reason for objection, it is better not to resist. The traveller should assure 
himself that the new carriage and horses are not inferior to the first, and 
take the same precautions in making his arrangements with the new man 
that were necessary at first starting. Many complaints have been made as 
to the voituriers on the road of the St. Gotthard between Fluelen and Bellin- 
zona, and rather more caution is needed on that line than is requisite else- 
where. In the Canton of Berne the local authorities have fixed a taritf" of 
charges for hired carriages which must not be exceeded. It may be found 
at the principal hotels. This interference with free-trade does not seem to 
have been imitated elsewhere. 

Chars. — One-horse vehicles, fit to travel on rough country roads impass- 
able for larger carriages, are to be found in most parts of the Alps. In the 
districts frequented by strangers, small light caleches have taken the place 
of the rougher vehicles used by the country people, which are found else- 
where. These vary in form, and are generally uncomfortable, though con- 
venient for the purpose intended. The einspanniger Wagen of the German 
Alps, and the earettino of some parts of Italy, are light narrow carts, with 
seats hung across, quite unprotected against rain. In other parts of Italy 



MODES OF TRAVELLING IN THE ALPS. 



xxxi 



the calessina, or light caleche, protected when necessary against rain and 
sun, is the common mode of conveyance. In Savoy and South Switzerland 
the char-a-banc, an inconvenient vehicle containing three seats, laid side- 
ways on a pole, and surrounded by a leather curtain, is happily becoming 
less common. The charge for these vehicles varies from half a franc to 
80 cent, per English mile, with a bonnemain or trinkgreld, of from 10 cent, to 
15 cent, per mile. More is often asked, but it should be r°collected that in 
Switzerland and the German Alps the rate for posting little exceeds that 
amount. 

Diligences. — All the great lines of road in and about the Alps that have 
not been supplanted by railways, are traversed by diligences, and Switzer- 
land is particularly well supplied in this respect. The carriages are tolerably 
comfortable, and the service generally well conducted, but those who travel 
to see the country are not likely often to use these conveyances. From the 
coupe and the banquette, some limited view is gained ; from the interieur and 
the rotonde, next to nothing. The fares in Switzerland vary according as 
the road traversed lies in the low country or over a mountain pass. In the 
first case the rate is 80 cent, per Swiss league of 3 miles, in the coupe; 
60 cent, in the interieur and the banquette. On mountain roads the rate is 
1 fr. 15 cent, for the coupe; 1 fr. for interieur and banquette. The French 
diligences cost rather more, those of Italy and Germany rather less, than the 
above rates. 

On the south side of the Alps omnibuses are found plying between all 
the towns and large villages and the nearest railway stations. They are 
extremely cheap, but usually very disagreeable conveyances. They may, 
however, often be used for sending travellers' spare luggage from one place 
to another. 

Riding. — Horses or mules well used to Alpine paths, and with side-saddles 
for ladies, are found for hire at most of the places frequented by tourists. 
As this is the mode of conveyance commonly adopted by ladies, and by 
tourists unable to walk, it is important to remark that it is only in such places 
that reliable animals are to be found. Those accustomed to transport mer- 
chandise, or to carry wood or forage from the mountains, may be used to 
rough tracks, and therefore surefooted, but are unaccustomed to the saddle, 
and liable to become restive in dangerous places. Several narrow escapes 
from fatal accidents have, within the writer's knowledge, arisen from this 
cause, usually from a side-saddle carried by some enterprising English lady, 
and laid for the first time on the back of the animal. Ladies who design 
exploring the less-frequented valleys of the Alps will consult their own 
comfort and security, and much reduce their expenses, by arranging their 
journey so as either to make one longer circuit, returning near to the point 
whence they start, or a succession of shorter tours, each beginning at and 
returning to some central place. At each starting point the animals required 
for the party should be carefully selected, and an attentive guide engaged to 
accompany the travellers, and take care of the animals during the expedition. 
With ladies, it is prudent to take a guide for each horse or mule. It is a 
rule of the first importance to abstain from interfering with the animal in 
difficult and dangerous places. There is scarcely an instance of accident 
arising from a fall when the animal is left to his own sagacity, but many in 
cases where the rider has attempted to interfere with him. To this cause is 



xxxii 



INTRODUCTION. 



attributed the unfortunate fate of a French lady, dashed to pieces in 1861 
when riding down the Gemmi Pass. In the writer's opinion, it is never wise 
for a lady to descend along ledges of rock overhanging a precipice otherwise 
than on foot, or in a chaise-a-porteur. A slight slip in such a situation may 
endanger the rider. 

The usual charge for a horse or mule per day is 9 fr., besides 1 or 2 fr. 
for the boy who takes care of it. At Chamouni the daily charge is 6 fr., but 
the same sum is payable to the guide who accompanies it. On the S. side 
of the Alps there are not many places where mules used to carry a rider are 
kept for hire. The charge for mules engaged in unfrequented places should 
not exceed 8 or 9 fr., including the pay of a boy. Return fare at the 
same rates is always demanded. 

Chaise- a- Porteur (Ital. Portantina\ Germ. Tragsessel) is an arm-chair 
supported by two poles, and carried by bearers. In Savoy and the Valais 
four bearers are usually considered necessary, and even six where the person 
to be carried is at all heavy ; but in the Bernese Oberland, and in North 
Switzerland, two men will often undertake to carry a lady of light weight 
for several successive days. This mode of conveyance is well suited for 
Indies who are able to walk a little, but fear the fatigue of a long day's ride. 
Some persons soon accustom themselves to the motion, but to others it is 
always disagreeable. There is, however, a great difference between men 
who are used to the occupation, and beginners who jolt and shake the seat 
in an uncomfortable fashion. The ordinary pay of each bearer is 6 fr. 
a day, with the same daily pay for the time required to return to the place 
of departure. 

It may safely be asserted that none of the various modes of conveyance 
here enumerated are more than imperfect substitutes for the only means of 
travelling completely satisfactory to the lover and student of nature. 
Walking is so peculiarly the suitable way of visiting the Alps that it is most 
conveniently discussed separately, in a future part of the Introduction. See 
Ai t. VIII. 

Art. V. — Guides and Porters. 

In the same proportion as the number of strangers annually resorting to 
the Alps, the inducements to the natives to adopt the profession of guide 
have constantly increased during the last half-century. The large majority 
of tourists do no more than follow a frequented path, where one native of 
the district is as well able to lead him as another. The increased desire to 
explore the less accessible parts of the Alps, and to undertake difficult and 
dangerous expeditions, has led to a demand for the services of a superior 
class of men, who po^sess in a high degree the special qualities of the 
mountaineer. Although there is no recognised distinction between the two 
classes, and the best guide, when not otherwise engaged, is ready to carry a 
lady's shawl over the easiest Alpine pass, while there are few ordinary guides 
who acknowledge themselves to be unfit for a difficult ascent there is in 
fact as wide difference between them as between the most eminent and 
the inferior men in any other profession. The practice of taking the same 
guide throughout an entire tour, which has become very common among 
Alpine travellers, has led to another distinction, better defined than the last, 



GUIDES AND PORTERS. 



XXX111 



between general and local guides. While the latter have no pretension to 
go beyond the bounds of their own immediate district, the others are men 
who have acquired a tolerably wide acquaintance with the more frequented 
parts of the Alps, who speak French or German, and sometimes a little 
English, and have a sufficient knowledge of the dialects used in different 
parts of the chain to serve as interpreters, and as useful travelling servants. 
The men who unite the qualities of the mountaineer with a wide range of 
local knowledge are naturally the most valuable to the Alpine traveller, and 
their number is limited, though annually increasing to meet the extensive 
demand. The best men are usually engaged weeks, or months, beforehand 
by members of the Alpine Club. An ordinary tourist has no occasion to 
seek for men of this class, but he may find it an excellent plan to secure the 
services of a steady respectable man who will accompany him throughout his 
tour. 

In the cantons Berne and Yalais, and at Chamouni, the local authorities 
deliver to each person authorised to act as guide a small book, containing a 
certificate of good character and general fitness, wherein his employers enter 
their names, and add such remarks as they think proper. Before engaging 
an unknown guide it is always expedient to inspect his book, and it is often 
well to consult the innkeeper before making a choice. 

The duty of a guide is not merely to point out the way, but further to 
make himself generally useful to his employer. He is expected to carry a 
knapsack of 20 or 25 lbs. weight, and to find himself in the articles requisite 
for his profession, such as rope and ice-axe. In strictness he is bound to 
feed himself out of his pay, but whenever it is necessary to carry food to eat 
on the way, or to pass the night at some mountain chalet where provisions 
are not forthcoming, it is a matter of course for the traveller to take a 
supply sufficient for his guide. When a guide is taken for an extended tour, 
and he is forced to live at inns, most travellers think it reasonable to pay for 
their guide's living, or else to make him an extra allowance for the additional 
expense he must incur. The ordinary pay of a guide for an ordinary day's 
work is 6 francs, and the same daily rate is considered fair for a tour of some 
length when days of rest alternate with days of severer exertion, save that, 
as a general rule, a traveller who parts with a guide after several days or 
weeks of companionship, and who is content with his service, adds a gratuity 
proportioned to the work done. It must be recollected that the pay of a 
guide engaged specially for the ascent of any of the higher peaks or more 
difficult glacier passes, is fixed either by local tariff or by special agreement, 
at a rate considerably exceeding the ordinary pay ; and if several such 
expeditions be made during a tour of some weeks, it is but just to increase 
the gratuity given to the guide, although no absolute right to it may exist 
on his part. The right to pay at the rate of 6 fr. a-day for the return 
journey from the place where a guide is discharged to that from which he 
started, unless his services be transferred to another traveller, is universally 
recognised, and this is one of the reasons which often makes it positively 
economical to retain the same guide for a considerable tour, where he may 
be discharged at no great distance from his home. 

Guides of the ordinary class are usually found wherever a regular demand 
exists for their services. In selecting them more caution is advisable on the 
south side of the Alps than in Switzerland or the Tyrol, but as a general 

b 



xxxiv 



INTRODUCTION. 



rule they are well-conducted and obliging. The only defect common among 

the Swiss guides is a fondness for liquor, a failing that has been injurious to 
some of the best Oberland men. The higher class of guide, possessing the 
strength and activity, combined with courage, coolness, and skill, that make 
the accomplished mountaineer, is formed only by the union of training and 
experience, with the requisite natural faculties. The raw material may be 
said to exist wherever chamois-hunting is a favourite pursuit of the young 
and active men. But this of itself does not suffice. The most skillful 
Pyrenean chasseur placed on the summit of the Strahleck pass would 
probably be overpowered with terror, and if unaided would be little likely 
to reach Grindelwald or the Grimsel ; while many of the best Oberland 
guides would hesitate before trusting themselves on the face of a dizzy 
limestone precipice, that is traversed with ease by the Aragonese cragsman 
with his apurgatas. 

Active men and bold climbers may be found here and there in most parts 
of the Alps, but it is mainly at Chamouni, in the Bernese Oberland, and in 
the Valais, that the degree of experience and skill requisite for contending 
with the difficulties of the snow and ice region of the Alps is to be acquired. 

In opposition to the popular belief as to the characteristics of the 
French and German races, the Chamouni men are marked by steadiness and 
perseverance, rather than by daring and dash. In the latter qualities the 
Oberland guides take the first place, but as companions in a tour they are 
seldom so attentive and agreeable, and are usually rather inferior in education. 
The love of wine and strong drink is much less common among the 
Chamouni men than in Switzerland. With two or three brilliant exceptions 
the Valais guides are decidedly inferior to their rivals, being wanting in 
energy and scarcely reliable in situations of real difficulty. At the risk of 
doing injustice by involuntarily omitting deserving men, a list of the best 
guides, and some information as to their special qualities, and the districts 
with which they are acquainted, is appended to this section. 

On the south side of the Alps, and in Tyrol, guides scarcely exist as a class. 
It is usually easy to find a trustworthy man who is fit to show the way over a 
well-known pass, and to carry the traveller's knapsack, at the rate of 4 or 5 
francs daily. For this purpose the best plan is to apply to the innkeeper, or 
in remote places to the cure, rather than take without enquiry persons who 
come to offer their services. Men of this class rank with the porters 
presently to be noticed, rather than with regular guides. A traveller 
wishing to attempt an excursion of any difficulty in these less frequented 
districts should enquire for the best known chamois-hunters, for it is amongst 
these only that he is likely to find assistance ; but as men of unsteady 
character sometimes take to that pursuit, he will do well to ascertain from 
competent authority that he is in safe hands. In cases of reference to an 
innkeeper or parish priest, a reserved answer in which the referee declares 
that he knows little of the man in question, is to be taken as an unfavour-. 
able reply. The reference should of course be made before the traveller 
has committed himself, or declared positively his intention to make the 
expedition. 

Porters, — In the districts where guides exist as an organised body, possess- 
ing an exclusive right to exercise that calling, a subaltern class of porters has 
grown up, and in some places has been equally subjected to regulation. 



GUIDES AND PORTERS. 



XXXV 



The porter's business is to carry luggage over beaten tracks where there is 
no need of a guide, or in longer and more difficult expeditions to assist the 
guides by carrying the heavier articles required for a part of the way. 
Porters generally are content to receive 5 francs a day, but in the southern 
valleys of the Alps a traveller undertaking to provide food, may often 
procure a useful man of this class for about 3 fr. a day. In the Bernese 
Oberland, porters (Germ. Trager) demand 6 fr. a day, but they carry a 
much heavier weight than is usual elsewhere. Some of these men make 
no objection to carry 40 or 50 lbs. of luggage a distance of seven or eight 
leagues. 

List of the best known Guides, with their Addresses 
alphabetically arranged. 

Christian Aimer (of Grindelwald). First-rate, uniting daring, steadiness, and 
intelligence. Well acquainted with the Oberland and the Monte Rosa 
District. 

Moritz Andermatten (of Visp. Valais). Good steady man. Well acquainted with 

the Monte Rosa District. 
Melchior Anderegg (of Meyringen). First-rate in all, respects. There is scarcely 

a difficult ascent or pass in the Bernese or Pennine Alps which he has not 

accomplished, most of them in company with the Rev. Leslie Stephen. 
Franz Andermatten (of Saas). Excellent, strong, and cheerful Probably the 

best man in the Valley of Saas. 
Johann Joseph Bennen (of Laax, Valais). First-rate. * The Garibaldi of Guides.' 

Well acquainted with the Bernese and Pennine Alps. 
Peter Bohren (of Grindelwald). Good, but thirsty. Has mounted most of the 

Oberland peaks. 
Bartolome Burgner (of Saas). Good - r local. 

Zachary Cachat (of Chamouni). An excellent mountaineer, but odd-tempered. 

Knows the Mont Blanc and Monte Rosa districts thoroughly. 
Jean Baptiste Croz, and Michel Croz (of Le Tour, near Chamouni). Brothers ; 

well known for the remarkable expeditions in which they have accompanied 

Messrs. W. Mathews and F. F. Tuckett through a considerable portion of 

the Graian, Tarentaise, Dauphine, and Cottian Alps. Both are excellent 

mountaineers, but Michel is generally considered the bolder of the two. 
Ambroise Dayne, (garde-chasse of Valsavaranche). Excellent cragsman, and 

good local guide for the central group of the Graian Alps. 
Hoste, Joseph Jacquet, and Lucien Jacquet (all of St. Gervais). Good 

guides for Mont Blanc. 
Andreas Jaun (of Grimsel Hospice). A powerful but rather heavy man. Makes 

a good second in a difficult expedition, but not fit for leader's place. 
Christian Kaufmann (of Grindelwald). A strong, steady, and good-tempered man. 
Johann Kronig (of Zermatt). A young man, very good, up to a certain point, 

but not steady enough in cases of serious difficulty. He will probably 

improve. 

Christian Lauener (of Lauterbrunnen). A good steady guide, good-tempered and 
obliging. Not quite first-rate. 

Ulrich Lauener (of Lauterbrunnen). A most powerful man, who has been a first- 
rate guide. He is of thirsty temperament, and rather noisy when the day's 
work is over. 

Franz Lochmatter (of Macugnaga). A very pleasant, good-tempered man, who 
knows his own district well. Not quite in the first class, but a very good 
cragsman. 

b2 



xxxvi 



INTRODUCTION. 



Christian Michel. Peter Michel (both of Grindelwald). Brothers. Good guides 

for the Schreekhorn, Wetterhorn, and Eiger. The younger brother is more 

active, and the more skilful cragsman of the two. 
Michel Payot (of Chamouni). First-rate. Accompanied Mr. Cowell in the first 

ascent of the Grand Paradis, and elsewhere. He is well acquainted with the 

Pennine and Graian Alps. 
Peter Perm (of Zermatt). First-rate. The best guide at Zermatt. Well 

acquainted with the Pennine and Graian Alps. 
Anton Ritz (of Zermatt). A very promising young man. Is usually employed 

as waiter at the RifTel Hotel. 
Auguste Simond. An excellent man, and has been a first-rate guide. Rather 

advanced in years for very laborious expeditions. 
Jean Tairraz (of Les Pras, Chamouni). A good guide, but rather past his 

prime. 

Jean Tairraz (of Hotel du Mont Blanc, Chamouni). Still acts as guide occa- 
sionally. The remark above made as to his namesake applies equally 
to hira. 

Joseph Tairraz (of Chamouni). Very good guide. 

Victor Tairraz (of Les Pras, Chamouni). First-rate. A steady, sure, but not 
brilliant mountaineer, who is at the same time an obliging, attentive, and 
serviceable companion. He knows the Pennine and Bernese Alps very well, 
and also the greater part of the Italian Tyrol. 

Johann zum Taugwald (of Zermatt). Strong and willing, but wants nerve in 
situations of real difficulty. Not fit for leader. 

Matthaus zum Taugwald (of Zermatt). The same remark as made on the last 
named applies here. Both men are well acquainted with the Monte Rosa 
district. 

Peter zum Taugwald (of Zermatt). Although older than his namesakes above 

mentioned, he is a better guide, a first rate cragsman, strong and willing. 

Rather eccentric in his ways. 
Thut (of Stachelberg). Probably the best guide for the Todi. In common with 

the other guides of the same place, he makes extortionate demands, which 

ought to be resisted. 
Viennin (of Zinal). A good local guide. 

Johann Zwalt (of Guttanen ?) A good strong guide, useful as second in a 
laborious expedition. He was for some time at the Grimsel. 

Art. VI. — Inns. 

So much does the comfort of travellers depend upon the goodness or 
badness of the accommodation found at inns, that it is not surprising if they 
exact a degree of accuracy on this point from a. guide-book that, irom the 
nature of the case, it is impossible fully to attain. Assuming that the 
information at the Editor's disposal were always very recent, there is a sreat 
degree of uncertainty about the impression left upon a passing traveller by 
an inn where he remains for one or two nights. One traveller happens to 
arrive when the house is crowded, the larder ill-provided, the servants and 
the master tired. He is ill-lodged, ill-fed, and ill-attended, and as a natural 
consequence his report is highly unfavourable. A few days later another 
traveller is lodged in the best rooms, finds abundant supplies, and is treated 
with attention. The second report is, as it ought to be, entirely different 
from the first. There are but a few hotels of the best class so well arranged. 



INNS. 



xxxvii 



and under such skilful and active management, as not to be liable to such 
vicissitudes. In truth, however, the information obtainable often dates back 
two or three years, and in that time very many changes occur. The manage- 
ment of an inn, especially a large one, requires constant activity and 
watchfulness on the part of some one directly interested in its success ; and 
it constantly happens that a change of management, or a mere relaxation of 
the innkeeper's activity, caused by over prosperity or by engaging in other 
pursuits, reduces a hotel from the first to an inferior rank. At the same 
time new houses are every year opened in the frequented parts of the Alps, 
so that between the falling- off of old, and the rise of new inns, it is impos- 
sible to achieve invariable accuracy. Yet it will probably be found that the 
indications given here are, as a general rule, more correct than the interested 
recommendations of voituriers, boatmen, guides, and the like. Those who 
use this book will confer a favour on the Editor, and on future travellers, if 
they will note down the inns at which they stop in the course of their tour, 
with such observations as they consider due, and communicate the same to 
the publisher for use in a future edition. Such information is useful even 
in respect to the most frequented places, whether the traveller's judgment 
agree with that here expressed or not. 

It is generally known that no country in Europe is so well provided with 
inns as Switzerland. The hotels in the more frequented places leave very 
little to be desired by the most fastidious, and in country places they are 
generally much superior to similar establishments in our own country. The 
beautiful valleys of the Italian Alps are far from being equally well supplied, 
but the increased influx of strangers has led to considerable improvement. 
Though less frequented by strangers, the Lombard and Venetian Alps are 
decidedly in advance of Piedmont. The writer has been in the habit of 
stopping in remote villages and hamlets wherever convenience dictated, 
without caring to make previous enquiry as to the accommodation to be 
found there, and he has rarely failed to obtain tolerable food and a clean 
bed. Higher praise than this is due to the country inns in the Austrian 
Alps. In the Tyrol, Salzburg, and Styria, and perhaps still more in 
Carinthia and Carniola, it is a rare exception when a village inn is otherwise 
than a comfortable and agreeable stopping place, where excellent living is 
rendered doubly acceptable by the kindly manners of the people of the 
house, and the charges are so moderate as to make it a matter of surprise 
how any profit, however small, can be made from the business. The French 
Alps present a disagreeable contrast. With but very few exceptions, a 
traveller entering an inn in Dauphine must be prepared for filth and 
privation, and not seldom his ill-humour is aggravated by an extortionate 
bill. The same observations apply, in a somewhat less degree, to the pro- 
vinces of Maurienne and Tarentaise, in Savoy. The provinces of Chablais 
and Faucigny, between the valley of the Arve and the Lake of Geneva, 
partake somewhat of the character of the adjoining parts of Switzerland. 
Cleanliness and comfort are better understood, and barefaced extortion is 
not so often attempted. In many Swiss inns, and in some towns in Italy, 
more attention is paid to the habits and tastes of English travellers than is 
usual on the Continent. The ordinary hour of the table d'hote being one 
o'clock, there is often a second table aVhote at five o'clock. English mustard, 
pretty good tea, and other desiderata^ are to be had, and some of the 



xxxviii 



INTRODUCTION. 



principal hotel-keepers have gone so far as to open an English chapel, and 

offer inducements to a clergyman to officiate during the summer. 

There is but one department in which English inns maintain a superiority 
over those of every part of the Continent. In the latter the use of water- 
closets has as yet made but little progress, and even when they exist they 
are frequently in an offensive condition. The usual substitutes for them are 
a source of foul smells that too often disgrace even first-rate hotels. In 
France these places are perfectly horrible, forming an unaccountable 
exception to the general advance in civilisation. Italy ranks next lowest in 
the scale ; while in Germany and Switzerland some elementary ideas of 
cleanliness and decency are not foreign to the soil, though there is still much 
room for improvement. The only way to effect a reform is by repeated 
remonstrances, and by making it known to innkeepers that attention to this 
department will attract, while neglect will as certainly repel English 
travellers. The Editor hereby requests that his correspondents will enable 
him, by information on this point, to indicate in future editions of this work 
by a distinguishing mark the houses that deserve favourable or unfavourable 
notice in this respect. 

It is difficult to give information as to the expense of living at inns which 
can be serviceable to travellers. The effects of railroad communication and 
fiscal reforms are every year more evident in the tendency towards an 
equalisation of prices throughout Europe. Some differences will doubtless 
continue to exist, and Italy and Southern Germany are still considerably 
cheaper than England or Switzerland. Apart from the fact that the price 
of living is higher, it is fair to recollect that a large capital is often invested 
in Swiss inns which remain open but four or five months, or even a shorter 
time; and that some of them are built in places where constant labour and 
expense are needed to procure the necessary supplies. The regular charge 
for a single bed in the better class of Swiss inns is 2 francs, and in second 
class and country inns 1^ franc. In the larger hotels more is charged for 
rooms on the first or second floor, and also for those commanding a view. 
The charge for the early table d'hote at one o'clock is from 3 to 4 francs. 
For that at 4 or 5 p.m. one franc more is usually demanded. Breakfast of 
tea or coffee, bread and butter, and confiture, or honey, 1^- franc, rarely 1 
franc. Eggs and meat are charged separately. Attendance for a single 
person 1 franc daily For a party it should not exceed 75 cents, or even 
less per head. Sitting-rooms are charged daily from 4 to 8 francs each. In 
the first-class hotels, besides a handsome salle a manger, one or more rooms, 
containing books, newspapers, and a pianoforte, are usually open to persons 
staying in the house. As it is the practice for ladies to avail themselves of 
these public rooms, a sitting-room is by no means necessary. 

All over the Continent it is the usual custom for persons travelling in a 
party, and intending to remain some days, to enquire the price of their 
apartments, and if this appear high to make some observation, which usually 
leads to a reduction. 

Many English travellers are haunted by the disagreeable impression that, 
in their capacity of Englishmen, they are marked out by innkeepers and 
others, and made to pay higher prices than are demanded from tourists of 
other nations. The writer believes that, with rare exceptions, there is now 
no ground for this suspicion. Formerly, the case was otherwise. So long 



GENERAL ADVICE TO TRAVELLERS IN THE ALPS. XXxix 

as the English were not content to travel in the same manner as foreigners 
of the same social position, they were naturally treated in an exceptional 
manner. None but persons of the highest rank and ample means are used 
on the Continent to have their meals served apart in a sitting-room; and 
when English travellers, in this and other ways, showed an apparent in- 
difference to expense, it was but natural that they should be treated as if they 
were so. Of late years our countrymen have not only learned to conform to 
the usages of other nations, but, as a body, they show themselves quite as 
attentive to economy as other travellers of the same means and station. As 
a general rule, inn-keepers are disposed to think that what they call a 
famille, i.e., a party including ladies and one or more servants, is a fair mark 
for higher charges than they would attempt with single men. Thus a party, 
perhaps, remaining for a single night, will find wax candles charged in the 
bill at the rate of two for each room which they occupy. It is necessary to 
have a deduction made for those not used, and to prevent the waiter from 
lighting more than are wanted. 

Injustice to themselves and the public travellers should take the trouble 
to look over their bills, and to point out for reduction any items that appear 
unreasonable. Should a simple remonstrance fail, there is generally no use 
in further resistance. The extortion must be gross indeed that will not be 
sanctioned by the local authorities, should a traveller lose time by resorting 
to them. There is but one effective threat to which inn-keepers are usually 
very susceptible — that of exposure in English newspapers and guide-books, 
and this, in gross cases, should always be enforced. Cases of shameless extortion 
are usually confined to the meaner class of inns, or to those which have been 
opened expressly for tourists in some Alpine route. No reasonable person 
will object to pay somewhat more than the usual rate of accommodation at 
an inn set up expressly for the convenience of a limited class, but it is well 
to make the owners understand that by unreasonably high charges they 
defeat their own object. 

Art. VIZ. — General Advice to Travellers in the Alps. 

Season for Travelling. — The higher parts of the Alps are not easily acces- 
sible during the height of summer ; but it is not generally known that many 
districts, including much beautiful scenery, are seen to the best advantage 
in spring and autumn. In the month of May the neighbourhood of the 
Swiss lakes, and more especially the valleys of the Maritime, Lombard, and 
Venetian Alps may be visited with full satisfaction. The vegetation of those 
districts is then seen in its full beauty, and many mountains of moderate 
height, commanding noble views, may be ascended without difficulty, though 
in some seasons a good deal of snow still remains on the secondary ridges. 
In June the rapid transition from winter to spring, and from spring to sum- 
mer, is completed throughout all the inhabited valleys of the Alps. For the 
ordinary tourist, who does not aim at difficult ascents, this would be the best 
season for travelling, were it not that the weather is usually more changeable 
than in the three succeeding months. Even for the aspiring mountaineer the 
second half of June possesses many advantages. The length of the day 
greatly facilitates long expeditions, the glaciers are more easily traversed, as 
the crevasses are narrower, and are more covered over by snow bridges, and 



xl 



INTRODUCTION. 



slopes of ice or rock, very difficult at other times, are made easy by a covering 
of snow that yields to the foot. Recent experience confirms this opinion. 
The first .ascent of the Aletschhorn, and several other difficult ascents, have 
been made towards the end of June, and persons who have crossed the Col 
du Geant, and other broken glacier-passes, have been surprised to find few 
or none of the usual obstacles. On the other hand it should be remembered 
that the snow at this season is ill-consolidated, and that a slight disturbance 
very easily produces avalanches. Certain couloirs and very steep slopes that 
are tolerably safe later in the year, are highly dangerous in the early season. 
The use of the rope, always expedient, is doubly so at a season when most of 
the crevasses are concealed by snow-bridges of uncertain solidity. There is 
also the inconvenience that there is usually a greater extent of soft snow 
to be traversed than later in the season. Another slight drawback to 
mountaineering in June arises from the fact that the cattle are not yet sent 
up to the higher pastures. The chalets to which the traveller resorts for 
milk, and sometimes for a night's rest, are not yet inhabited. For the same 
reason nothing can then exceed the beauty of the Alpine pastures, in the 
full blaze of their brilliant colours, before they are eaten and trodden down 
by animals. 

July and August are the months usually chosen by travellers in the higher 
parts of the Alps, and on an average of years the public is doubtless right in 
the selection. August is the season when the inns are most crowded, and a 
traveller who has moved from place to place in July, does wisely to select 
comfortable and agreeable quarters for the succeeding month. One reason 
for passing this time in the higher valleys is the great heat that is then usually 
experienced in the low country at the foot of the Alps. The experience of 
many years has led the writer to believe that, on an average, the best chance 
of finding a continuous succession of fine weather, with the clearness of air 
favourable for distant views, is during the first half of September. During 
the summer it is rare to find more than three or four davs together such as 
the mountaineer willingly chooses for an ascent, and even then the distant 
horizon is rarely clear of clouds. Eight or ten consecutive days of perfect 
weather are often to be had in Sept ember. About the middle of that month 
snow usually falls on the higher Alps, sometimes descending to the valleys. 
Those who do not take flight are often rewarded by a renewal of fine weather 
extending into October. The fresh snow and the shortness of the days 
make the season unfit for higM and difficult expeditions; but it is most 
enjoyable in the southern valleys, where the great heat of summer is a serious 
impediment to the pleasure of travelling in the earlier season. The Italian 
lakes may be visited with satisfaction until the end of October, save that in 
that month a week or ten days of heavy rain, extending through the entire 
N. of Italy, may usually be looked for. 

Languages spoken in the Alps. — It may safely be said that half the pleasure 
of travelling is lost to a person who is unable to speak the language of the 
country through which he passes. Englishmen are more often prevented 
from speaking foreign languages by shyness and mauvaise honte than by 
indolence or incapacity. As there is little room for shyness in con- 
versing, or attempting to converse, with a guide or waiter, a pedestrian 
expedition serves to help many persons over the first difficult step of beginning 
to exercise the tongue in the production of unaccustomed sounds. The region 



LANGUAGES SPOKEN IN THE ALPS. 



Xli 



included in this work is pretty equally divided between the German, French, 
and Italian languages. German, which has rather the largest share, is spoken 
throughout nearly the whole of the German Alps, and through three-quarters 
of Switzerland, the division between the French and German districts nearly 
corresponding with a line drawn from Porrentruy to Sierre in the Valais. 
West of that line French is the language of the country, as it is throughout. 
Savoy and Dauphine, and in the Val d'Aosta, and the Vaudois valleys of 
Piedmont. With those exceptions, and that of a few parishes at the foot of 
Monte Rosa, inhabited by a German population, Italian is spoken through- 
out the southern valleys of the Alps, including the Swiss Canton of 
Tessin. In the valley of the Adige, which may be said to cut through 
the dividing range of the Alps, the division between the Italian and Ger- 
man population lies a little S. of Botzen. Elsewhere it usually follows the 
water-shed. 

With scarcely any exceptions the three languages here named are not to 
be heard in a state of purity in any part of the Alpine region. Dialects, 
more or less corrupt, have taken their place, but a stranger speaking the 
pure tongue can make himself understood, though he may find some trouble 
at first in understanding what is said to him. 

Besides the three principal languages, there are three or four others that 
occupy some small portion of the Alpine region. The Komansch, a distinct 
language derived from the Latin, and not, as some suppose, a dialect of 
Italian, is spoken in about two-thirds of the Canton Grisons, and is sub- 
divided into three dialects. Three or four newspapers appear in this language, 
but German is on the increase, and will probably before long supplant the 
ancient tongue. In the Sette Comuni, north of Vicenza — a district of table- 
land and mountain pastures, enclosed between the Brenta and the Astico — a 
peculiar language, supposed to represent the ancient Cimbric, still holds its 
ground, but is being rapidly replaced by the Venetian dialect of Italian. 
Either the same, or an allied dialect, survives in some valleys of the Italian 
Tyrol, between the Eisack and the head waters of the Cordevole. A larger 
space is occupied in the Eastern Alps by people speaking the Slavonic dialect, 
called by the German, Krainerisch. From the valley of the Isonzo this 
extends through the J ulian Alps, the Karawankas, and some other parts of 
Carinthia, Carniola, and Styria. German is, however, spoken by all the 
younger people of the country, so that a traveller has little trouble from this 
cause. He should, however, bear in mind that each place has a German and 
a Slavonic name, and very often an Italian name also, and as these are some- 
times quite unlike each other, care is needed to avoid mistakes. 

For the mere purpose of living at hotels, and making his way from one 
place to another, a traveller knowing French only, or German only, will 
meet no serious difficulty. At most hotels there are servants who speak 
both languages, and a knowledge of English is very general among Swiss 
waiters. Those enterprising Britons who travel on the Continent with no 
other medium of communication than their native tongue, and a well-filled 
purse, may best make their way by the Rhine, and confine themselves to the 
Swiss Alps. They do unwisely in attempting to extend their tour to the 
S. side of the Alps. 

Books and Mops. — The number of works connected with the Alps has 
so much increased of late years, that it would be difficult to give a complete 



xlii 



INTRODUCTION. 



list. Lists, however, of works or memoirs connected with the geology of 
the Alps and with the Alps generally are included in Art. XIV. 

There is no general series of maps of the Alps that can be recommended, 
with, perhaps, the exception of Mayor's Karte der Alpenlander, in 9 sheets, 
Perthes, Gotha, 18^2. In the preliminary notes to each division of this work, 
information is given as to the maps most likely to be of use to travellers. 

Expenses of Travelling. — The habits and wants of travellers are so various 
that nothing approaching to a general estimate of the expenses of a tour can 
be given. It is not, however, difficult for a traveller to frame an estimate 
for himself A single man, contenting himself with ordinary fare, and the 
vin ordinaire such as is supplied at tables d'hote, need not spend at inns on 
an average more than 10 francs a day in Switzerland, or Savoy, or more 
than 5 or 6 fr. in the Eastern Alps. Should he order fish, game, and foreign 
wine for dinner, he may easily double the above rate of living. To cover 
extras, he should allow 86?. a mile for every English mile travelled in a one- 
horse carriage. Assuming him to take a guide, either to show the way or to 
carry his knapsack, he must in Switzerland and Savoy allow 6 fr. a day on 
this account, and he may add 2 fr. more that in one way or other his guide 
will cost him. If his tour will admit of his returning near to the place where 
he first engages a guide, it will cost him no more to take the same man 
throughout his tour than to engage a fresh guide every second day for the 
purpose of continuing his route; since the men so taken must each in suc- 
cession be paid return fare. Should he intend to make considerable halts 
on the way, there will, in the economical sense, be a proportional disadvan- 
tage in taking a guide who must receive his pay whether employed or not. 
It may be interred that, on a rough estimate, a single traveller should allow at 
least 18 fr. a day for his expenses in Switzerland or Savoy, and a little but 
not much less in Piedmont, without counting the occasional hire of a vehicle 
which may considerably increase the total. Two men travelling together 
will generally find one guide or porter sufficient for both, so that the above 
estimate would be brought to 14 fr. each. In the Eastern Alps it is easy to 
find a trustworthy man who will accompany a traveller for any number of 
days, and consider himself well paid with 3 or 4 fr. a day, besides his food 
(which may be counted at 1 fr. more), and his expenses in returning to his 
home. Apart from vehicles, the expenses of a single traveller in the Eastern 
Alps, speaking German or Italian as the case may be, need not exceed 12 fr. 
daily for himself and his guide, and those of two companions may be 
reckoned at 9 fr. each. It is obvious that the above estimates must be 
reduced in the case of a traveller who does not object to carry his own 
knapsack, and only occasionally engages a guide where it is imprudent to 
venture without one. On the other hand, the total must be largely increased 
when the traveller aims at effecting difficult ascents, or achieving new or 
little known glacier passes. Where two or more guides receive 30 or 40 fr. 
each, and it is necessary to lay in an ample store of provisions for two or 
three days, the expenses of a single excursion may amount to five or six 
pounds, or even more. 

It is still more difficult to estimate the expenses of a party including ladies. 
Supposing the outlay per head at hotels to be the same as already estimated, 
there is generally considerably more to be reckoned for cost of conveyance. 



EXPENSES OF TRAVELLING. 



xliii 



It is true that a carriage, costing in all about 1 J fr. per mile, will carry four 
or five travellers, but whenever mules or chaises -d-porteur are taken over 
an Alpine pass, and sent back on the following day, it is necessary to reckon 
from 20 to 25 fr. for each mule, and from 25 to 50 fr. for each chaise-a- 
porteur. 

When the traveller has made the best possible estimate of the sum he is 
likely to require for his Alpine tour, he should leave an ample margin for 
unforeseen expenses, and for the changes of route that are often inevitable. 
Persons who omit this precaution are sometimes put to serious inconvenience 
by finding their supplies fail before they have reached the city where they 
can renew them. A considerable number of Napoleons may be carried 
without inconvenience in the inside pockets of a waistcoat, and, if travelling 
in Switzerland, a few English bank-notes, or circular notes of a London 
banker, may be changed from time to time at the principal inns where the 
traveller may stop. It is scarcely necessary to remind persons with any 
experience of the importance of being well-provided vvith small change, the 
want of which causes inconvenience and loss. 

General Rules for Travelling. — Of these it would be easy to make a long 
list ; a few only are here noted. 

It is necessary to arrive at foreign railway stations 20 minutes before the 
hour fixed for the departure of the train. Failing this, difficulties are made 
as to receiving luggage, and the travellers are thrust into the worst places in 
the railway carriage. 

All arrangements for vehicles, mules, guides, or porters should be made 
overnight. He who waits till next morning will find inferior articles and 
higher prices. 

Avoid sleeping with open windows in low valleys, especially those liable to 
inundation. 

Advice as to dietary is little needed, as most people in good health can live 
on the food they find on their road. It may be noted that Alpine mutton 
is too often tough and stringy. Yeal and fowls are usually the best meat. 
Chamois venison, when in good condition and kept long enough, is good, but 
is rarely eaten in perfection. Trout are delicate eating, but are usually 
rather dear. The same may be said of ptarmigan and coq de bruyere. The 
latter is excellent, but not often to be had. 

Very fair wine is made in the Cantons Neuchatel, Vaud, and Valais in 
Switzerland, in the neighbourhood of Chambery in Savoy, in the Yal d'Aosta, 
the Yal Tellina, and the valleys near Verona, but the better qualities are 
rarely found in inns. Those who dislike the ordinary wine, may best call 
for Beaujolais, a sound red wine found at most inns in Switzerland and 
Savoy. Some persons like Asti wine, a sweetish insipid liquor, usually to be 
had in Piedmont, and in many Swiss inns. Barbera is a strong and rough 
but sound Piedmontese wine, which is found in Italian towns, but as a 
general rule no wine but that of the district is to be had at Italian country 
inns. Many travellers like the effervescing lemonade, which, under the 
name limonade gazeuse, is found almost everywhere in Switzerland. 

Most of the requisites for travelling are enumerated in Art. VIII. as 
especially important to pedestrians. A few universal requisites may be 
noted here. 

Stationery, including writing paper, pens, ink, sealing-wax, pencils, and 



xliv 



INTRODUCTION. 



drawing materials for those who use them, are best obtained in London. 
The same may be said of soap and an extra toothbrush, wants not well sup* 
plied on the Continent. Adhesive luggage labels, and also those of parch- 
ment, and a strap for fastening together plaids and other loose articles, should 
not be omitted. Many travellers carry a telescope, but except for Chamois- 
hunting, where it is indispensable, this is rarely useful. An opera-glass of 
moderate size is much lighter, and more useful. It also turns to account in 
visiting picture-galleries, theatres, &c. 

When all other requisites have been supplied, the most important of all 
must be found by the traveller himself. Good temper and good humour are 
the only things quite indispensable for the enjoyment of travelling. It is 
not wise to yield too easily to the demands that are pressed upon a stranger, 
and every now and then a show of anger may be requisite to defeat imposi- 
tion, but a man who when travelling labours under the impression that all 
the world is combined in a conspiracy to maltreat and overreach him, and 
who loses his self-possession in a dispute about a franc, or because a waiter 
is slow to answer his summons, will consult his own peace and the convenience 
of others by staying at home. 

Art. VZZX. — Advice to Pedestrians. 

There are few men in tolerably good health who are not able to walk quite 
enough to enable them to enjoy nearly all the finest scenery in the Alps. 
The process of training is to some rather irksome, and it varies from a few 
days to two or three weeks, according to the constitution and previous 
habits ; but this once accomplished, the unanimous testimony of ail who 
have tried this manner of life, declares that there is none other so enjoyable, 
and none so healthful for mind and body. Some patience and judicious 
preparations are needed to arrive at that delightful condition in which any 
reasonable amount of exertion is borne without fatigue, and a man, after a 
previous day's walk of 30 miles over mountain and glacier, rises with the 
sun, refreshed and ready for fresh enterprise. Assuming that, on reaching 
the Alps, a traveller is not already in good training, he must carefully avoid 
overworking himself at first. He cannot begin better than by making the 
ascent of some one of those minor summits that are placed round the outer 
margin of the great chain, and command views that often rival in beauty the 
panoramas from the higher peaks. Such are the Dent du Chat, Mont 
Granier, and Grand Som, in the French Alps ; the Dole, Weissenstein, Rigi, 
and Hohenkasten, in Switzerland; the Monterone, Monte Generoso, Corno 
di Canzo, and Grappa, on the Italian side; and very many others that might 
be added to the list. On arriving at some place that serves for head quarters, 
it becomes easy for a man to graduate the length and difficulty of his excur- 
sions to his increasing powers, being careful, whenever he feels somewhat 
overtired, to make the following a day of comparative rest. 

If his design be to carry his knapsack himself he will do wisely to begin 
with very short, journeys. For the first few days it is felt as a decided 
incumbrance, and somewhat increases the labours of the day's work ; but 
after a short time the muscles become adapted to the effort, and it is scarcely 
found to make any difference, except to persons with tender feet, who are 
apt to feel the effects of the additional weight. For travellers who have not 



ADVICE TO PEDESTRIANS. 



xlv 



the instinctive faculty of finding their way without a guide, there is no 
inducement to take the trouble of carrying their own knapsacks ; but quite 
apart from the saving, which to many may be a matter of indifference, the 
keen sense of absolute freedom and independence, and the intense enjoyment 
of nature, unbroken by the presence of even the most satisfactory guide, are 
motives enough to tempt many a man to rely on himself for his means of 
conveyance in the Alps. The writer warmly admires and sympathises with 
the feelings of those who have developed the ardent and aspiring style of 
mountaineering that has so largely increased our knowledge of the Alps, and 
all but 'effaced the word "inaccessible" from the Alpine dictionary;' but 
for the sake of the next generation, he would think it a matter for regret if 
the life of Alpine travellers were to be always one of struggle and warfare. 
There is a keen pleasure in storming some citadel of nature, hewing the way 
axe in hand, or clambering up some precipitous outwork ; but the recollec- 
tions of days of solitary enjoyment amid the more accessible, and not less 
sublime scenery, leave an impression no less deep and abiding. 

Equipment of a Pedestrian. — In giving the results of his own experience, 
confirmed in most points by that of many others, the writer is aware that 
temperaments are variable, and that what suits many travellers does not 
necessarily suit all. The inexperienced will generally do well to try, in the 
first place, what has been been found useful by others. 

Clothing. — An Alpine traveller is occasionally exposed to cold and piercing 
winds, but far more often to great heat, the direct rays of the sun in clear 
weather having a force which is quite unknown in England. Light woollen 
clothing is the best adapted to meet either contingency. The linen blouse, 
though sometimes very convenient, is not fitted for general use. Those who 
have any pursuit requiring them to carry instruments, note-books, or other 
extras, will prefer a shooting-coat to any other garment. It should have 
two inside breast-pockets, with two outside, and two large and strong inner 
pockets (called hare pockets) in the skirts. Those who may not require so 
much space should not forget to have at least one pocket large enough to 
contain a mounted map of large 8vo. size. Like the coat, the waistcoat 
should contain six pockets, i.e., besides those usually found, two watch 
pockets, and two inside pockets to fasten with a button, convenient for 
carrying gold and notes. Knickerbockers and gaiters are undoubtedly 
preferable to ordinary trousers, but most persons will wait until this dress 
is more generally known before they carry it on a continental tour. 

The covering and protection of the feet is to the pedestrian a matter of 
the first importance. Half-boots are generally preferred to shoes. They 
cannot be too solid, strong, and durable in workmanship. In this respect 
English boots are probably the best. They should be large enough to admit 
freely the foot covered with the thickest and strongest woollen socks. It is 
almost impossible to prevail on shoe-makers to estimate properly the strain 
upon the toes involved in a long and rapid descent of many thousand feet, 
and to make the front part of the shoe or boot long enough, and broad 
enough, in this part. The instep is the only part that should be comparatively 
tight, as the strain and friction is thereby partly removed from the toes, and 
transferred to the rest of the foot. Another defect often found in English 
boots, is that the heel is too much thrown back. It should be so placed 
under the ancle, so as to bear nearly the entire weight of the body when 



xlvi 



INTRODUCTION. 



in an upright position. For ordinary walking the writer is inclined to 
think that the best defence for the sole of the boot is by placing, at equal 
intervals of about J inch, nails with square steel heads of moderate size, and 
not projecting more than an eighth of an inch from the surface. The heel 
should be protected all round by larger and stronger nails. Although this 
protection is neces-ary, it is a source of inconvenience when traversing rocks, 
and the more nails there are in the boots the more caution is needed on 
smooth surfaces of rock. Every one with the least experience knows that it 
is rash to commence walking in new boots. They should be worn for three 
or four weeks beforehand. 

The writer has found it very difficult to procure woollen socks as thick 
and strong as are required in Alpine walking. Such are made occasionally in 
Scotland, and in some parts of Piedmont. He will be happy in future 
editions of this work to direct his readers to any shops in London where 
the great desiderata of Alpine boots and Alpine socks can be supplied. 

Coloured flannel shirts, not of a kind liable to shrink much when washed, 
are the best dress to walk in, linen or cotton being kept for a change in the 
evening. 

Grey felt hats, with moderately wide brim, are preferred by most 
travellers. When it is not intended to make the ascent of the higher peaks, 
a hat of vegetable fibre, of the kind called Panama, much lighter and giving 
better protection against the sun, is more agreeable. 

Gloves of doe-skin, or those called in France castor, which are not spoiled 
by wet, are the best for mountain wear. 

The Knapsack and its Contents. — In choosing a knapsack the pedestrian 
will probably be guided by the consideration that if he should intend to 
carry it himself, he will do well to reduce the weight as far as possible ; 
while if he means to hire a guide to carry it, he need not be so careful on 
that head. In the latter case, and supposing him to keep to ordinary routes 
traversed by beaten paths, he may increase the weight to 20 or even 25 lbs., 
but if he intend to attempt long and difficult passes, he should avoid over- 
burdening the guides, who besides his knapsack have to carry provisions and 
other necessaries. In the writer's opinion the best knapsacks for mountain 
work are those sold in London, made of strong but light oil-cloth, without 
any stiffening or frame. The common defect is that the straps are not wide 
enough, and press too much on the shoulders. A change of outer clothing 
is by no means necessary, though a second pair of light trowsers is sometimes 
convenient. The following articles of clothing, in addition to those actually 
in use, he believes to be sufficient for an expedition of several weeks. One 
flannel shirt, three linen or cotton shirts, 1 pr. drawers, 2 pr. thick woollen 
socks if strong enough, 2 pr. light cotton or silk socks, 6 linen pocket 
handkerchief's, considerably thicker and stronger than those generally worn, 
one or two extra pair of doe-skin gloves, and, lastly a waistcoat of thick 
knitted worsted, made with sleeves, as worn by the country people in some 
parts of France. This is invaluable in case of passing the night in a chalet, 
or bivouacking in some exposed place, weighing but a few ounces, and keeping 
the body very warm. Slippers are an all but indispensable luxury after a 
hard day's walk. Washing materials are most compactly carried in a small 
sheet of mackintosh with pockets for soap, brushes, &c. Those who, 
without being botanists, like to carry away some specimens of the beautiful 



ADVICE TO PEDESTRIANS." 



xlvii 



vegetation of the high Alps will add a quire, or less, of soft thick paper, and a 
sheet of light pasteboard of the same size. By tying them up tight with a 
piece of twine, small specimens will dry perfectly in the knapsack. A tin 
sandwich-box is very convenient for keeping together many of the small 
articles next enumerated, which cannot all be carried in the pockets. There 
will generally be one or two extra maps not in actual use, and some will add 
a favourite book to the contents of the knapsack. 

Small Articles to be carried in the Pockets or Knapsack. 

A compass is often of great value ; it may be connected with a clinometer. 

A note-book, with a good pencil, not such as are commonly sold with it, may have 

a pocket to hold a passport and two or three sheets of letter paper, envelopes, 

court plaster, &c. 
A leather drinking cup — indispensable. 

A blue or green gauze veil, for protecting the eyes and skin when crossing snow- 
fields. 

A pair of blue spectacles, for the same purpose. Both should be taken. 
A strong knife, and small corkscrew. 
A light opera-glass. 

A shrill whistle, for signalling to a guide or companion, is often useful. 

Wax lucifer matches ; besides which a smoker should not omit cigar lights, which 

are not to be had in remote places. 
Strong twine, and a few pieces of thicker cord are often useful. 
Lipsalve,or cold cream, or glycerine,to protect the skin in long exposure atahighlevek 
A little Arnica in case of wounds or bruises. 
A few Seidlitz powders or other simple medicine. 
Needles, thread, and buttons, with a little strong black ribbon. 

Of the lighter articles which turn to account in the traveller's dietary, the 
writer recommends a small supply of tea, half a pound of dried prunes or 
raisins, and half a pound of chocolate. On this head tastes will differ. 
Many travellers carry a flask, and it is often useful, though not at all 
necessary. Except in certain limestone districts, good water is abundant 
in all mountain countries, and in long and fatiguing expeditions the guides 
always cairy wine, which the traveller will do well to use with great 
moderation, and mixed with water. Kirschwasser and other spirituous 
liquors are rarely if ever useful, and at great heights do positive mischief by 
•stimulating the circulation already over-excited. The writer has found cold 
tea, which may be diluted with water, or mixed with a little red wine, the 
best remedy against thirst. 

Waterproof capes and overcoats are now made extremely light, and are 
easily carried, but, however useful on horseback, they are not to be 
recommended to pedestrians. A Scotch plaid, not too heavy, is incom- 
parably a more useful covering. When properly worn it resists heavy 
rain ; it is often useful as extra covering, during a halt on a mountain top 
when a keen wind is blowing, or in the evening in cold quarters; and it is 
no less serviceable at night when a traveller sleeps in a hay-shed, or as a 
substitute for the suspicious coverings of the beds in the lower order of 
mountain inns. The plaid is best carried strapped to the knapsack, and 
i along with it the writer recommends a strong, but not too heavy umbrella. 
'This is even more useful as a protection against the sun than against rain. 



xlviii 



INTRODUCTION. 



A strong wooden handle is far better than iron, which is often bent when 

exposed to gusts of wind. 

Some special notice is due to the Alpenstock, the constant companion of 
the Alpine traveller. It must be owned that this article is not in the least 
necessary to the moderate tourist who follows beaten tracks, and it is 
equally true that those commonly sold in Switzerland are perfectly useless 
on those occasions when an effective alpenstock is required. A walking 
stick with an iron point to it is convenient in ascending a steep and slippery 
path, and in descending there is an advantage in having it longer than 
usual. On this understanding the ordinary alpenstock may be recommended 
to the ordinary tourist. The chamois horn that is often attached is positively 
objectionable, being likely to tear the hand in case of a slight slip. The 
alpenstock that is to serve a mountaineer should be made of seasoned ash, 
and strong enough to bear without the least sign of breakage the entire 
weight of the body at the middle, while the ends are supported. It should 
be thickest at the bottom, where it receives the point, and where it is some- 
times exposed to great strain when it happens to catch in a cleft ; and 
should taper gradually to the top where there is no risk of breakage. The 
point should be made of tough steel, from 3 to 4 inches in "length, and not 
too sharp. The writer has found a decided advantage, when using the 
alpenstock for cutting the ice, in having the steel end made in the shape of 
a blunt chisel, or wedge, about three-quarters of an inch in width. The 
traveller who is not already provided with a trusty weapon, will do well to 
have the point made in England, of good steel, and to get the ash pole in 
the first town near the Alps, where he may halt for half a day. The steel 
point should have a long shank to be driven into the pole, and be secured 
with a substantial iron collar. 

Still more essential than the alpenstock to those who wish to explore the 
higher regions of the Alps is the rope. The uses of this are noticed in the 
next Art. It is belter to procure this in England, though a tolerable article 
may be had in most foreign towns. Some mountaineers use a fine sash- 
line. However good the material this is too slight, both because it is too 
quickly worn by pressure at a single point, and because it cuts the hands 
when used to draw up a heavy weight. Others carry ropes much too heavy, 
which become a positive incumbrance, and are sometimes left behind when 
they are wanted. The best rope that the writer has seen is made of Manilla 
hemp, strong enough to bear the weight of several men, yet not heavy. A 
length of 40 ft. is quite enough for three men. There is some convenience 
in having each member of a party provided with a separate short piece of 
rope fastened round his waist, and with an end ready to be fastened to a 
knot in the rope which serves as the common attachment. When this plan 
is adopted, some extra care is required to see that each knot is well fastened. 
A leather belt, with swivel spring -hook attached, is preferred by some. 

1 he Ice-axe. — There is some difference of opinion as to the best form of 
ice-axe, and it would appear that a perfect weapon has not yet been invented. 
The traveller is not likely to provide himself until he has gained considerable 
experience, the task of cutting steps being usually left to the guiies. The 
experienced mountaineer is as competent to decide the question for himself 
as the writer can pretend to be. He will merely remark, that in a descent 
over an ice-slope the chisel-pointed alpenstock, above spoken of, is a very 
serviceable weapon. 



ON MOUNTAINEERING. 



xlix 



Crampons are irons a little wider than the foot, and attached with a 
leather strap, having four points turned downwards. They are sometimes 
convenient on a moderately steep snow-slope, when the snow is too hard to 
yield to the foot, but is pierced by the crampons. On hard ice or reck they 
are useless and disagreeable, and therefore not in favour with mountaineers. 
Screws of hard steel, with square four-pointed heads, and arranged in a 
convenient way for being driven into the soles and heels of boots, are sold 
by Lund in Fleet Street. These are found very useful, but in walking over 
rocks it is difficult to avoid knocking them out of their places. 

Art. XX. — On Mountaineering*. 

Its Difficulties and Dangers — Needful Precautions. 

All active exercises and athletic sports require a certain amount of 
training, in order that the muscles and senses may be used to act together. 
Most Englishmen acquire in early life habits of bodily activity that make 
mountaineering come easy to them, and what more is required must be 
gained by experience. A few hints may, however, not be thrown away 
upon beginners. The quality of sure-footedness — a mountaineer's first 
desideratum — depends upon two habits, both easily acquired : first, that of 
lifting the foot well from the ground, and bringing it down at once ; secondly, 
that of observing the spot on which the foot is to rest. It is not mainly in 
order to choose the ground for each footstep that this is useful, though in 
some places it is requisite to do so; the chief advantage is that the muscles, 
being warned by the eye, are prepared for the precise exertion that is wanted 
at the moment. If aware that the next step is to be on rock worn smooth, 
an instinctive movement of the body is made to maintain the hold of the 
ground, when otherwise a slip would be inevitable. In the same way a 
suitable slight effort often prevents debris from slipping, but here the choice 
of the particular stone on which the foot is to rest becomes important. With 
habit, the slightest glance at the ground is sufficient, and the process is an 
almost unconscious one. 

The chief use of the alpenstock is in descending over steep and rough 
ground. Grasping the pole in both hands, the whole weight of the body 
may be safely thrown upon the point, and in a few minutes it is easy to clear 
by a succession of leaps a distance which otherwise would require thrice the 
time. It is often necessary to pass at a level along the face of a very steep 
slope. The beginner, involuntarily shrinking from the apparent danger, is 
apt to lean in the opposite direction. This is a mistake, as by causing an 
outward thrust of the foot the risk of slipping is much increased. In all 
such places the body should be kept perfectly upright, and the alpenstock 
held in both hands ready to steady the balance, or by a bold thrust at the 
ascending slope to stay the movement if the foot should be^in to slip. It 
must be recollected that, wherever the alpenstock is really wanted, it must 
be held in both hands. On very steep ground it is sometimes extremely 
difficult to avoid detaching loose fragments of rock, which may be a source 
of real danger to the traveller's companions. When possible, especially in 
I a descent, it is best to take slightly different lines, so that the foremost shall 
not be in the way of stones sent down by the next comer. When this is 

c 



1 



INTRODUCTION. 



not possible, the best plan is for the party to keep close together. The risk 
of harm is much less when the detached stone has not acquired a dangerous 
velocity. 

The preceding hints apply to travelling over rocks and rough ground, 
such as may be found in all high mountain districts. The peculiar difficul- 
ties of Alpine travelling depend upon the extent of ice and snow that cover 
the upper region. The ice is chiefly in the form of glaciers, whose origin 
and constitution are described in Art. XIII. ; the snow, except after a recent 
fall, is in that peculiar condition called neve. In ascending the Alps, the 
traveller usually begins his acquaintance with the ice region by traversing a 
greater or less extent of glacier ; if he continue to ascend, he will reach the 
neve, and it may easily happen that, at a still greater height, he will find the 
surface covered with a layer of fresh snow. The surface of a glacier is 
sometimes very even and slightly inclined, sometimes steep and irregular, 
being cut up by deep rents called crevasses, which may vary from a few 
inches to many feet in width. When the sun has shone for even a short 
time upon the glacier, the upper layer of ice partially melts, leaving a crisp 
and crumbling surface, on which the foot holds very well ; but after .rain, 
and before sunrise, the ice generally shows a hard and very slippery surface; 
the foot, though shod with steel points, makes scarcely any impression, and 
it is necessary to cut steps with much labour on slopes that a few hours later 
may be crossed with ease. The lower portion of a glacier, below the point 
where the ice is covered with neve, is quite as easy and safe to traverse as if 
it were formed of rock instead of ice. Reasonable caution is needed in 
jumping over crevasses, but there is no more reason why a traveller should 
fall into them than that he should walk over the edge of a chalk cliff on the 
South Downs. 

Above the limit of the neve the obstacles that stand in the way of the 
mountaineer may properly be called dangers rather than difficulties, and are 
discussed below under that head 

In the ascent of the higher peaks of the Alps, the pleasure and excitement 
are not unalloyed by some inconveniences. The first of these is thirst, pain- 
fully felt by those who are not used to such expeditions. In this, as in other 
matters, prevention is better than cure. The practice of carrying a small 
quartz pebble in the mouth has been ridiculed, but it rests upon a rational 
foundation. By causing an involuntary movement of the jaws it stimulates 
the salivary glands, and keeps the mouth moist. In cases where this means 
of prevention is insufficient, dried prunes or raisins are to be recom- 
mended; they are far more serviceable than drinking. The fruit should be 
kept in the mouth as long as possible, and chewed very slowly during the 
ascent. As a drink along with food, cold tea diluted is the best remedy for 
thirst. 

Another source of inconvenience is the heat of the sun upon the head. A 
thermometer exposed upon a black felt hat has risen to 151° Fahr. It is 
only surprising that the consequences are not more serious to the wearer. 
A layer of cotton wadding tied round and over the hat gives some pro- 
tection. At the risk of appearing eccentric, the writer has found relief 
from carrying an umbrella over the snow-fields. 

More serious than either of the above is the painful affection sometimes 
called mountain-sickness. This appears to be due to the combined effects of 



ON MOUNTAINEERING. 



li 



unusual exertion and the diminished density of the air at great heights. The 
first effect is to cause difficulty of breathing, a great indisposition to exertion, 
headache, drowsiness, and, if continued, nausea and loss of appetite. The 
writer believes that there is no instance of persons suffering from this affec- 
tion who have accustomed themselves to breathe the air at a not very much 
lower level. Persons used to active exertion at a height of 11,000 or 12,000 
feet are not liable to mountain-sickness in ascending any of the peaks of the 
Alps. As it is impossible to struggle effectually against the complaint, the 
only plan is to meet it by patience and perseverance. The use of strong 
liquor, as a restorative, should be carefully avoided. It may be necessary to 
halt'every twenty paces, or even at shorter intervals, till the symptoms abate. 
As it rarely attacks travellers till they are near the goal of their exertions, it 
is only necessary to take time enough to overcome it. The best proof that 
unusual exertion is the chief cause of the symptoms is the fact that they 
are never felt in descending, even from the highest summits. Although 
habit diminishes very much the evil effects, there is little doubt that all 
mountaineers are, more or less, affected by the mechanical and physiological 
disadvantages that attend muscular exertion at a great height. If the time 
be noted that is required to ascend two snow-slopes of equal height and 
steepness, but at very different elevations, it will be seen that much more 
time is consumed at an elevation exceeding 13,000 ft. than is required at 
9,000 or 10,000. 

Long exposure to the glare of the snow, especially in sunshine, is very apt 
to cause inflammation either of the eyes themselves, or of the surrounding mem- 
branes. The precaution of wearing dark spectacles, or a gauze veil, or both 
together, should be adopted in time, without waiting till disagreeable sensations 
are felt. These show that the inflammatory action has begun. The conse- 
quences of neglecting these precautions are sometimes extremely painful. 
The best remedy is to apply a cloth or handkerchief, steeped in water, 
closely pressed upon the inflamed eyelids, and frequently renewed until the 
symptoms abate. 

This list of minor miseries of mountaineering may be closed with one 
which is often felt for some days after an ascent, though but little at the 
moment. This is the blistering and peeling off of the skin, caused by the 
direct rays of the sun, or the reflection from the snow, aided by the sharp 
wind which usually blows at great heights. After a long day's exposure at 
a great height it often happens that every portion of the outer skin exposed 
to the air peels off, leaving the surface raw and uncomfortable for several 
days, Cold cream or glycerine applied beforehand is a preventive, and the 
veil acts as a partial protection. The lips are the part that most frequently 
suffers from this cause, being sometimes split in a painful manner. Collodion, 
although a disagreeable application, is sometimes useful by forming a pellicle 
over the surface which excludes the air. Some prefer a calico mask to a veil. 

Blisters in the soles of the feet should not be cut, but pierced with a 
needle near the edge, and the contents pressed out. Some persons are apt 
to lose the skin of the toes during a long and steep descent. This is easily 
replaced by good adhesive plaister. A French article, called Taffetas Boggio, 
is decidedly superior to most English court-plaister. 

Precautions for Health. — Few of these are required, for the combination of 

c 2 



1H 



INTRODUCTION. 



active exercise, pure air, and freedom from care, that is found in the life of 
the Alps, is better for the health than all the prescriptions jet framed by 
doctors. A few hints may not be useless. 
Avoid overworking yourself at first. 

When fatigued after an unusually hard day's work, avoid wine, and 
drink weak tea in the evening, You will sleep soundly and awake re- 
freshed. 

Should you still feel the effects of over-fatigue, make the following day one 
of rest. 

Make it an invariable rule to wash extensively with cold water, and change 
your inner clothing immediately on your arrival after a day's walk. 

Dietary. — In some parts of the Alps, in the Bernese Oberland, and about 
Chamouni, it is quite safe to rely on obtaining food at the places where a 
traveller puts up for the night. In other districts, where the supplies are 
poor and scanty, it is necessary to carry supplies, more or less extensive, 
according to the wants of each traveller. The writer has found 1 lb. of rice 
per day, thoroughly boiled in the excellent milk which is always to be had 
at the upper chalets, quite sufficient to give two good meals to two travellers. 
Chocolate may be used for one meal, but in that case bread should also be 
taken. Hard-boiled eggs contain much nourishment in small space. They 
are usually boiled too hard ; five minutes is quite enough, but even so they 
are not very attractive food. The only bread commonly found in chalets is 
a hard black bread, baked once or twice a year, and not agreeable to un- 
accustomed palates. On the Italian side of the Alps a substitute for bread 
is often found in the shape of polenta, made of the maize flour. When the 
Hour is good and thoroughly cooked, this, eaten with fresh butter, is whole- 
some and palatable food. The brousse made in the cheese chalets in many 
parts of the Alps is highly recommended by some, but does not suit all 
stomachs. 

The travellers who have explored many of the wilder and least accessible 
parts of the Alps, where the want of wholesome food is a serious impedi- 
ment to a prolonged stay, do not seem as yet to have used the supplies which 
are now to be had in most of the great cities of Europe. It is well known 
that excellent meat, well cooked, with or without vegetables, is prepared in 
hermetically sealed tin eases, and such cases have been largely supplied to 
exploring expeditions. In some parts of the Alps there may be a little 
practical difficulty in conveying considerable supplies in this form, but it 
may be useful to point out that, as nearly all the valleys of the Piedmontese 
Alps are accessible in a few hours from Turin, there can be no great difficulty 
in conveying a few tin cases of cooked meat to any required point on that 
side of the main chain. Very good articles are supplied at the establishment 
of Fratelli Lancia, Piazza del Palazzo di Citta, Turin. The price of a case 
containing 1 kilogramme — more than 2 lbs. — of beef or veal, is about o francs, 
and for half that quantity, 3 francs. Their boeuf a la mode, bceuf aux fines 
herbes, and boeuf a la financiere, are highly commended. Those who wish 
to indulge in luxurious living in the Alps, may order larger cases, containing 
stuffed capon, or other elaborate dishes. 

In taking food for a long day's excursion, cold roast meat is generally the 
best. The guides are disposed to take more than is really wanted, yet, as 
they consult their own tastes more than that of their employers, it is well to 



'DANGERS AND PRECAUTIONS. 



liii 



look sharply to the choice that is made. It is a good plan to scoop a hollow 
in each roll or loaf of bread, and introduce a lump of fresh butter, closing 
the opening with bread. Butter is always welcome at a great height, and is 
very useful against thirst. The same remark applies to honey. Chocolate 
and dried prunes are desirable articles as a reserve in case of need. 

Sleeping Bag. — Travellers who shrink from the bad quarters often 
encountered in the higher valleys of Piedmont and Savoy, and the still 
worse abominations of Dauphine, may follow a fashion lately introduced to 
the Alps from the Pyrenees, where such articles have long been in use, and 
make themselves independent of lodging by means of a sleeping bag. 
Various patterns have been tried, varying in weight from 7 lbs. to more than 
double as much. The best arrangement seems to be that described by Mr. 
F. F. Tuckett in the first number of the 4 Alpine Journal.' The bag 
described by him, which weighs about &| lbs., and costs 3Z. 8s. 6<i., is made 
of a thick sort of blanketing, called swan-skin, partly covered with mackintosh, 
in addition to which is a mackintosh sheet, which may be used to cover the 
sleeper or his guides. Mr. Tuckett, who passed a night in this bag on the 
peak of Monte Viso, justly remarks that to sleep at so great a height, and 
in so exposed a situation, is* rather too severe a trial for the guides, only 
excusable in the case of those who turn their excursions to account for the 
progress of science. This objection does not exist to a bivouac where wood 
for firing is attainable. 

The dangers of Alpine travelling have been often exaggerated, but they 
are real, and no rational man will disregard them. The best proof that these 
dangers are not greater than those attending many other active exercises, 
such as fox-hunting and yachting, is the fact that, in spite of inexperience 
and the neglect of the best known precautions, the fatal accidents in the 
Alps have been so few. The loss of six lives within the last four years, and 
a much larger number of very narrow escapes, some of them happening to 
first-rate guides and mountaineers, ought, however, to operate as a salutary 
warning. The wives and mothers of Alpine travellers, who are made uneasy 
by the reports of accidents, should know that none have yet occurred that 
would not have been certainly prevented by adherence to well-known rules ; 
and, instead of endeavouring to withhold their husbands and sons from a 
healthful and invigorating pursuit, should simply urge them not to disregard 
precautions which afford absolute security against all its ordinary dangers. 
The following remarks are condensed, with slight alterations, from a paper 
by the present writer, the 18th chapter of the first series of 4 Peaks, Passes, 
and Glaciers.' 

The dangers of Alpine expeditions may be divided into two classes — the 
real and the imaginary. Where a ridge or slope of rock or ice is such that 
it could be traversed without difficulty if it lay but a few feet above the level 
of a garden, the substitution on either side of a precipice some thousands of 
feet in depth, or of a glacier crevasse, makes no real difference in the work 
to be done, though it may have a formidable effect on the traveller's imagina- 
tion. Those who cannot remove this source of danger by accustoming 
themselves to look unmoved down vertical precipices, and, in cases of real 
difficulty, to fix their attention exclusively on the ledge or jutting crag to 
which they must cling with foot or hand, should avoid expeditions where a 
moment's nervousness may endanger their own lives or those of others. 



Jiv 



INTRODUCTION, 



The real dangers of the high Alps may, under ordinary circumstances, be 
reduced to three. First, the yielding of the snow bridges that cover glacier 
crevasses ; second, the risk of slipping upon steep slopes of hard ice ; third, 
the fail of ice or rocks from above. 

From the first and most frequent source of danger absolute security is 
obtained by a precaution generally known, but often neglected. In the 
higher region of the glaciers, crevasses, even of considerable width, are often 
completely bridged over by a covering of snow or neve, so that no indication 
of their existence is seen on the surface of the glacier. The bridges, especially 
when formed of fresh snow, often yield under the weight of a man's footsteps; 
in such a case an active man whose attention is on the alert may sometimes 
extricate himself at once, but it more commonly happens that he falls into 
the chasm beneath, in which case his chance of life is faint indeed. But if 
several travellers are tied together with a stout rope, as it is in the highest 
degree improbable that a majority of them should fall at the same moment 
into the same crevasse, no appreciable danger from this cause need be 
incurred. Even two travellers tied together may with a proper attention 
avoid this risk, but greater security is obtained when they are three or more 
in number. It is mainly because he cannot be protected from this danger 
that a man who goes alone over the higher regions of the great glaciers incurs 
a risk that must be called unjustifiable. 

As it is hard to persuade a landsman that a well-found yacht has more 
danger to fear in a fog, with a smooth sea around, than when a stiff breeze 
is blowing, so few mountaineers are willing to admit that there is more real 
chance of accident in traversing some wide expanse of neve, unbroken by a 
single ruffle, than in crossing a broken glacier with wide crevasses opening 
on every side. A very moderate amount of practice enables a man to make 
sure of his footing and to avoid seen dangers, but unseen perils call forth no 
caution, and though the rope offers complete security, few travellers yet 
understand that it should form a part of their regular equipment. At the 
risk of being thought overcautious, the writer will not cease to urge upon his 
fellow-travellers in the Alps the enactment, as a fixed rule in mountaineer- 
ing, that on reaching the limit of the neve the members of a party should all 
be roped together. He is perfectly aware that there are many places where 
the risk is very slight : a practised mountaineer might cross the Theodule 
Pass 500 times without accident, but the 501st time he might be lost in a 
crevasse, as has happened twice on or near the pass since the writer first 
knew it. With a sufficient inducement, and if it were impossible to find a 
companion, he would not hesitate to cross that or some other high pass alone, 
but if he were in company he would insist on the use of the rope. 

It would seem scarcely necessary to add that the rope should be sound 
and strong, if it did not often happen that untrustworthy articles are taken 
by guides ; and it is not less important to note that it should be fastened 
round the body of each member of the party, guides included, leaving both 
hands free to use the alpenstock in case of a slip. A neglect of this 
obvious rule led, in 1860, to the loss of three English travellers, and one of 
their guides, in the descent from the Col du Geant to Courmayeur. 

When it is a matter of importance to cross a snow bridge of doubtful 
solidity, it is a good plan to let each person in succession crawl across on 
hands and knees, with the alpenstock in one hand laid flat upon the snow, 



DANGERS AND PRECAUTIONS. 



ftr 



so as to distribute the weight over as large a surface as possible. It is need- 
less to say that, as a matter of course, the whole party should be well roped 
together. 

The ascent and descent of steep ice-slopes are amongst the most difficult 
operations that commonly fall in the way of the mountaineer, but when 
properly conducted there should be little or no danger to those concerned. 
It should be explained that the term ice-slope is commonly applied to slopes 
of neve on which, after a certain amount of exposure, a crust is formed, too 
hard to yield to the foot, yet very different from compact glacier ice. This 
icy crust yields easily to the axe, and a couple of well-directed blows suffice 
to make a step on which the foot may take secure hold. When we read of 
ascents in which several hundred steps have been cut, it must usually be 
understood that these have been made on slopes of frozen neve. Though 
the operation is rather tedious, and fatiguing to those engaged in cutting the 
steps, such ascents seldom involve any risk, for the steps are usually very 
easily enlarged so as to give good standing ground. On slopes exposed to 
the sun, where a thin layer of snow has lain over rocks, the whole mass is 
sometimes so saturated by the melting of the surface that when, refrozen at 
night it is converted into a continuous mass of nearly compact solid ice. Such 
a slope, especially if it be steep, is far more troublesome than those above 
described ; to cut steps is a much more laborious operation, and these are 
generally much shallower, so that they give but precarious footing. None 
but men who have acquired the requisite steadiness ought to attempt the 
ascent, or, what is more difficult, the descent over such a slope. 

In spite of every precaution, a traveller may slip on an ice-slope where, if 
unchecked, a fall would lead to certain destruction. Against this danger the 
rope is usually an effectual preservative. Cases are said to occur where the 
footing is so precarious that a party cannot be tied together, as, if one were 
to slip, he would inevitably drag all his companions along with him to destruc- 
tion. It is for those concerned to consider whether in such instances the 
object in view is such as to justify the inevitable peril of the ascent. The 
writer confesses that he is somewhat sceptical on this point, and he doubts 
whether there be any slopes that have yet been surmounted where two men, 
well used to the business, could not hold up a third who might slip, especially 
if the latter be not wanting in steadiness and presence of mind. 

There is one description of slope which usually involves serious risk. That 
is when a layer of fresh snow lies upon a surface of hard ice, or even well- 
compacted neve. For some days there is little adhesion between the upper 
and the under layer, and if the slope be steep the disturbance caused by the 
pressure of a foot may easily produce an avalanche capable of carrying away 
and burying an entire party. Practical experience is needed to determine 
whether the ascent can be safely attempted. The only fatal accident 
recorded in the numerous ascents of Mont Blanc arose from the travellers 
insisting on persevering, against the judgement of the guides, when the snow 
was in this condition. 

The dangers arising from masses of snow or rock falling across the track 
are at the moment beyond the skill of the traveller, but they may, to a 
great extent, be avoided by a judicious choice of route. Experienced 
mountaineers learn to recognise the positions where ice detached from a 
higher level descends over a precipice or steep slope of rock. They either 



Ivi 



INTRODUCTION. 



avoid such spots altogether, or are careful to pass them early in the morning, 
before the sun has loosened the impending masses, or late in the day, after 

his rays have been withdrawn. 

During bad weather the ordinary risks of Alpine travelling are much 
increased, and serious dangers from other causes may assail the traveller. 
Masses of rock are detached from their previously firm resting-places, and 
come thundering down across the track. Falling snow obscures the view 
and effaces the foot-prints, so that it becomes equally difficult to advance 
and to retreat. Most formidable of all, the toarmente, or snow whirlwind — 
when the wind begins to blow in violent gusts — bewilders the traveller, 
half blinded by the fine dust-like snow of the higher regions, and benumbs 
his limbs with its biting breath if he be unable to keep up rapid exercise. 
A reasonable man will not attempt expeditions in the higher region of the 
Alps during bad weather, and will resort to an immediate retreat when 
unexpectedly attacked by it. Attention to the bearings of the compass and 
to landmarks, when the appearance of the weather becomes doubtful, will 
enable travellers to retrace their steps. In attempting to traverse an 
unknown glacier, it is a very useful precaution to gain some commanding 
point overlooking the projected route, and examine the surface carefully 
through a glass. In this way mistakes are often avoided, and time 
saved. 

Art. X.— Climate and Vegetation of the Alps. 

Chalet-life in the Alps. 

The narrow limits of this Introduction admit of but a brief reference to a 
subject which it is difficult to treat without entering into some detail. The 
climate of the Alps determines the character of the vegetation, and upon 
this depend the occupations and manner of life of the inhabitants. Writers 
upon this subject have attached too much importance to the absolute height 
above the sea-level, as though this had a predominant influence upon the 
climate, whereas the position of each locality in respect to the great 
mountain masses, and the local conditions of exposure to the sun and 
protection from cold winds, or the reverse, are of primary importance in 
deciding the climate and the vegetation. 

Olive Region. — Along the southern base of the Alps we find a first 
illustration of the remark above made. The climate of the lower declivities 
and the mouths of the valleys is markedly warmer than that of the plains 
of Piedmont and Lombardy. While the winter climate of Milan is colder 
than that of Edinburgh, the olive ripens its fruit along the skirts of the 
mountain region, and penetrates to a certain distance towards the interior 
of the chain along the lakes and the wider valleys of the Southern Alps. 
The olive has even become wild on the shores of the lake of Garda, where 
the evergreen oak is indigenous, and lemons are grown on a large scale, with 
partial protection, during the winter. The climate of the Borromean islands 
and some points on the shores of the Lago Maggiore i6 known to permit the 
growth of many plants of the warmer temperate zone, while at a distance 
of a few miles, and close to the shores of the same lake, but in positions 
exposed to the cold winds from the Alps, plants of the Alpine region grow 
freely, and no delicate perennials can survive the winter. Accurate 



CLIMATE AND VEGETATION OF THE ALPS. 



Ivii 



information is wanting as to the temperature of this region. The olive has 
been known to resist a temperature of — 9° Cent., or about 16° Fahr., but is 
generally destroyed by a less degree of cold. Its successful cultivation may 
be held to indicate a winter in which frosts are neither long nor severe, 
where the mean temperature of winter does not fall below 42° Fahr., and a 
heat of at least 75° Fahr. during the day is continued through four or five 
months of the summer and autumn. 

Vine Region. — The vine is far more tolerant of cold than the olive, and 
will produce fruit with a much lower summer temperature, but to give 
tolerable wine it demands, at the season of the ripening of the grape, a 
degree of heat not much below that needed by the olive. These conditions 
3re satisfied throughout a great part of the Alpine chain in the deeper 
valleys, and in favourable situations up to a considerable height on their 
northern slopes. While the olive region is but exceptionally represented on 
the S. side, the vine not only extends to form a girdle round the entire 
region, but reaches near to the very foot of the greater peaks. The fitness 
of a particular spot for the production of wine depends far more on the 
direction of the valley, and of the prevailing winds, than on its height. 
Hence it happens that in the Canton Valais, the valley of the Arc in Savoy, 
and some others on the N. side of the dividing range, tolerable wine is 
made at a higher level than in the valleys of Lombardy, whose direction 
allows the free passage of the keen northern blasts. It is not uncommon 
to see vineyards rising in terraces on the N. slope, exposed to the full force 
of the sun, while on the opposite declivity the pine descends to the level of 
the valley. The vine in the Alps often resists a winter temperature which 
would kill it down to the roots in the low country, doubtless because of the 
protection afforded by the deep winter snow. An early thaw followed by 
spring frosts often injures the crop. A mean summer temperature of 
68° Fahr. is considered necessary to produce tolerable wine, but in most of 
the places where the vine is grown in the Alps the heat rises, at least occa- 
sionally, much beyond the required limit. In fine weather the thermometer 
often stands at and above 80° Fahr. in the shade in the valleys. Along with 
the vine many species of wild plants, especially annuals, characteristic of 
the flora of the S. of Europe, show themselves in the valleys of the Alps. 

The Mountain Region, or Region of Deciduous Trees. — -Many writers take 
the growth of corn as the characteristic of the colder temperate zone, 
corresponding to what has been called the mountain region of the Alps. 
But so many varieties of all the common species, with widely different 
requirements, are in cultivation, that it is impossible to identify the growth of 
cereals in general with any natural division of the surface. A more natural 
limit is marked by the presence of the principal deciduous trees. Although 
the oak, beech, and ash do not reach exactly the same height, and are not 
often, if anywhere, present together in the Alps, their upper limit cor- 
responds accurately enough to that transition from a temperate to a colder 
climate, that is shown by a general change in the wild herbaceous vegetation. 
The lower limit of this district is, as we have seen, too irregular to admit 
of definition ; its upper boundary, marked by the gradual disappearance of the 
above-mentioned trees, is at about 4,000 ft. on the X. side of the Alps, and 
often rises to 5,500 ft. on the southern slopes. It would be a mistake to 
suppose that the aspect of this region is mainly characterised by its tree 



Iviii 



INTRODUCTION. 



vegetation. The climate appears to be favourable to one or other of the 
trees which have been named as marking its limits, but the interference of 
man has done much to eradicate them. It is probable that at a very early 
date they were extensively destroyed for use in building, and to clear space 
for meadow and pasture land, so that, if we except the beech forests of the 
Austrian Alps, there is scarcely a considerable wood of deciduous trees to be 
seen anywhere in the chain. In many districts, where population is not 
too dense, the pine and Scotch fir have taken the place of the oak and 
beech, mainly because the young plants are not so eagerly attacked by 
goats, the great destroyers of tree vegetation. On the S. side of the Alps, 
the chestnut, although naturally an inhabitant of a warmer region, has in 
many districts replaced the other deciduous tree, rising to within 1,000 ft. of 
the same height, being met by the pine, which descends through the inter- 
mediate space. To this region belong many of the lower ranges on the 
outskirts of the Alpine chain, and some highland pastoral districts, such as 
those of the Beauges in Savoy, of the Swiss Canton of Appenzell, and the 
plateaux of the Venetian Alps between the Adige and the Piave. We find 
here one form of the peculiar condition of society characteristic of the 
Alpine highlands, but this is more conveniently described in connection with 
the next region. The annual mean temperature of this region is not very 
different from that of the British Islands, but the climatal conditions are as 
different as possible. Here snow lies for several months together, till it 
disappears rapidly in a few weeks of warm spring weather, and gives 
place to a summer considerably warmer than the average of our seasons. 

The Subalpine Region, or Region of Coniferous Trees. — This is the region 
which mainly determines the manner of life of the population of the Alps. 
On a rough estimate of the region lying between the summits of the Alps 
and the plain country that encircles them, we may reckon the whole amount 
of land in cultivation at about one-quarter of the surface, and of which but 
little more than a half is under vineyards or cornfields, and the remainder 
produces forage and artificial meadow. Nearly another quarter of the 
whole region may be set down as utterly barren, being formed of snow- 
fields, glaciers, bare rock, lakes, and the beds of streams, leaving about one- 
half of the entire surface which is divided between forest and grass land, 
either natural meadow or pasture. These proportions show clearly that if 
any considerable population is to derive a subsistence from the soil, it must 
be from feeding animals, and not from the direct production of human food. 
It is principally from the subalpine region that these animals draw their 
support. Grass land is, indeed, abundant in some parts of the mountain 
region, but it is chiefly reserved for hay, while the upper pastures of the 
subalpine and Alpine regions support the herds and flocks during the fine 
season. Botanically this region is best distinguished by the prevalence of 
coniferous trees, forming vast forests that, if not kept down by man, and by 
the tooth of the goat, would cover the slopes of the Alps. The prevalent 
species are the common and the silver fir. In granitic districts the 
larch flourishes, and reaches a greater size than any other tree. Less 
common are the Scotch fir and the arolla or Siberian fir. In the Eastern 
Alps the mughus, dwarf-pine, or knieholz of the Germans, becomes con- 
spicuous, forming a distinct zone on the higher mountains, above the level 
of its congeners. The pine forests play a most important part in the 



CLIMATE AND VEGETATION OF THE ALPS. W 

natural economy of the Alps, and their preservation is a matter of vital 
consequence to the future inhabitants. Through ignorance or recklessness 
the destruction of the forests has in some districts been carried much too 
far ; for the present gain derived from the sale of the timber, and the 
additional space gained for pasture, may be dearly purchased by future 
sterility. In the Northern Alps the coniferous trees scarcely attain to a 
height of 6,000 ft., while on the S. side they often reach 7,000 ft. The 
larch, the arolla, and the mughus are the species that ascend highest, not 
uncommonly surpassing the above limit. As it is principally to be seen in 
this region, we shall here briefly notice what may be termed the chalet-life 
of the Alps, without attempting to describe its various forms in detail. 

The entire space occupied by the Alps is mainly composed of deep 
valleys enclosed between steep and high mountains. The land fit to pro- 
duce human food being scattered in comparatively small strips and patches 
in the valleys, while a large part of the mountain country can support 
during half the year cattle that must be housed and fed in the valleys in 
the winter, a large part of the population leads a nomad life, changing their 
habitations several times in the year. According to varying circumstances, 
such as the extent of land held in tillage, the demand for labour in other 
occupations, and the traditional usage of the district, the migration 
may extend to nearly the entire population, or only to a small number 
strictly necessary for the care of the animals. In the month of May the 
horned cattle, that have been fed in houses through the winter, are led up 
to the lower pastures, where tolerably substantial houses are generally 
found. In the French Alps the general name for all houses used by the 
people employed in tending cattle is Chalet, and this has been commonly 
applied both by French and English writers to all the small temporary 
habitations in the upper region of the Alps. The German term is Sennhittte. 
In Italy various names are current in different districts, of which the 
commonest are Casera or Casara, and Malga or Malgheria. The lower 
chalets, occupied in May and the first half of June, generally stand at about 
the upper limit of the mountain region, or the lower part of the subalpine 
region. When they are superior in construction to the mere huts which 
serve in some districts, they are commonly called maiensasse, or mayens. 

Towards the middle, but sometimes not till the end, of June, the cattle 
are moved up to the chief pastures, usually towards the upper part of the 
subalpine region, where they are intended to remain for the ensuing two or 
three months. Where available pastures are to be had still higher up in the 
Alpine region, a portion of the cattle are sent there for a time varying from 
four to eight weeks. In most parts of the Alps the making of cheese is the 
chief employment of the men who tend and milk the cattle. The quantity 
produced must be enormous. In Switzerland cheese forms a large part of 
the dietary of the people, and the export is valued at 350,000/. The quality 
of the cheese produced in the Eastern Alps is far superior to that of 
Switzerland. Butter is made on comparatively a small scale, and although, 
the people are such proficients in cheese-making, the art of making good 
butter seems to be little known anywhere in the Alps. 

The actual care of the cattle forms but a small part of the labours of the 
Alpine peasantry. The trae limit to the wealth of a commune or a family, 
which is expressed by the number of cows it can keep, does not depend in 



be 



INTRODUCTION. 



general upon the amount of pasturage that can be found for them in 
summer, but on the quantity of food that can be stored up for them in 
"winter, and to this task the labour of a large part of the population is 
directed. Besides artificial meadow in the valleys, the best grass land in 
.he mountain region is kept to be cut for hay ; and, when it can be spared, a 
further share of the upper pasture is reserved in the same way. Besides 
this, men and boys are constantly engaged during the summer in robbing of 
their natural vegetation the least accessible spots of the mountains, where 
the cattle cannot arrive. A day's work is often consumed in collecting 
a small bundle of grass, gathered from ledges that are reached by perilous 
climbing, and brought down in a cloth balanced on the head, to add to the 
store of hay for the coming winter. 

A stranger in the Alps is often misled by the large number of huts or 
wooden sheds seen on the slopes of the mountains, and supposed to be 
intended for dwellings. Two-thirds, or a larger proportion, of these are 
hay-sheds, and, as a general rule, one or two such sheds are found close to 
every chalet except those in the highest region. This arrangement is a 
great convenience to travellers who pass the night at a chalet, as the hay, if 
not damp, makes a much better bed than can be had in the narrow shed 
where the herdsmen are constantly engaged. 

The Alpine Region. — In defiance of etymology, which would make the 
term Alpine coextensive with the entire tract available for pasturing cattle, 
this epithet has been attached by writers of authority to the zone of 
vegetation extending between the upper limit of trees and the first appear- 
ance of permanent masses of snow. Shrubs are not wanting throughout 
this region. The common rhododendron, several small species of Alpine 
willow, and the common juniper extend up to, the latter even beyond, the 
level of perpetual snow. It is in this region that the botanist finds fully 
developed the peculiar vegetation characteristic of the Alps. Many species 
may, indeed, be found here and there at lower levels, either accidentally 
transported from their natural home, or finding a permanent refuge in some 
cool spot sheltered from the sun, and moistened by streamlets descending 
from the snow region ; but it is here that the varied species of saxifrage, 
primrose, pedicularis, anemone, gentian, and other genera, that give to the 
Alpine flora its utmost brilliancy of hue, have their peculiar home. In 
valieys where pasturage is scarce, the inhabitants are forced to send their 
cattle up to the very limit of vegetation in order to support them during 
the summer, while the grass of the subalpine region is in great part turned 
into hay for winter use. In such cases one or two men remain for several 
weeks on some isolated slope of Alpine pasture, many hours' walk from the 
nearest village, until the day arrives when the cattle are led back, perhaps 
across a glacier, or by some very difficult track, to the lower chalet which 
serves as an intermediate station between their summer and winter quarters. 
In other parts of the Alps, where sheep and goats are more common, the 
pastures of the higher region are left exclusively to them. The limits of 
this region in the Northern Alps may be fixed between 6,000 to 8,000 ft. 
above the sea, and at least 1,000 ft. higher on the S. slopes of the Alps and 
in some parts of the main chain. In Piedmont it is not uncommon to find 
chalets at 8,500 ft. above the sea-level, and vegetation often extends freely 
up to 9,500 ft. 



ALPINE ZOOLOGY. 



Ixi 



The Glacial Regions. — This comprehends all that portion of the Alps that 
rises above the limit of perpetual snow. We continue to use that term, 
which is convenient and cannot well be replaced, but without explanation it 
is apt to mislead. 

Since the mean temperature becomes constantly lower as we ascend 
towards the higher peaks, there must be some point at which more snow 
falls in each year than is melted, or carried off by the wind, or otherwise 
removed. It is found that, one year with another, this occurs at pretty 
nearly the same point, and that the same patches or fields of snow are found 
to cover the same slope of the mountain. But we never find, unless after 
fresh snow, that the entire surface of a mountain above a certain height is 
covered with a continuous sheet of snow. The form of the surface causes 
more snow to rest on some parts than upon others ; the prevalent winds 
blow away the freshly-fallen snow from the exposed ridges, and cause it to 
drift in the hollows, and the sun acts with great force, even on the highest 
peaks, upon the slopes fully exposed to his rays. The consequence is, that 
portions of the surface remain bare at heights greatly exceeding the so-called 
limit of perpetual snow ; and that limit is far from retaining a constant 
elevation throughout the Alps, or even on opposite sides of the same 
mountain. The term, nevertheless, has a definite meaning when rightly 
understood. Leaving out of account masses of snow that casually accumu- 
late in hollows shaded from the sun, the formation of permanent snow-fields 
takes place at about the same height when the conditions are similar. 
Hence it happens tha,t, on viewing an Alpine range from a distance, the 
larger patches and fields of snow on adjoining mountains, with the same 
aspect, are seen to maintain a pretty constant level. Vegetation becomes 
scarce in this region, not, as commonly supposed, because Alpine plants do 
not here find the necessary conditions for growth, but simply for want of 
soil. The intense heat of the direct rays of the sun compensates for the 
cold of the nights, and it is probable that the greater allowance of light also 
stimulates the processes of vegetation. But all the more level parts are 
covered with ice or snow, and the higher we ascend, the less of the surface 
remains bare, with the exception of projecting masses of rock, which usually 
undergo rapid disintegration from the freezing of whatever water finds its 
way into the superficial fissures. Many species of flowering plants have 
been found at a height of 11,000 ft., and even above 12,000 ft. As only a 
thin covering of snow can rest upon rocks that lie at an angle exceeding 
60°, and this is soon removed by the wind or melted by the sun, some portions 
of rock remain bare even at the greatest height attained by the peaks of the 
Alps. There is, indeed, reason to believe that the quantity of snow falling 
on the higher summits is very much less than falls a few thousand feet lower 
down. 

Art. XX. — Alpine Zoology.* 

The zoology of the Alps is replete with many points of interest. Although 
some of the more remarkable animals have passed away; although the 
gigantic urus (Bos primigenius), which flourished in the forests of Mid- 
Switzerland during the prehistoric human period, and gave its name to the 
Canton of Uri, is now extinct ; although the marsh-hog, which survived in 



* By C. Carter Blake, Esq. 



Ixii 



INTRODUCTION. 



the lake-habitations (Sus Scrofa palustris), exists no longer, having given 
place to the modified wild boar and domestic hog, which afford sport and 
food to the present population, the mountains at a higher elevation, and far 
above the snow-line, afford examples of an Alpine fauna, which, as might 
a priori have been expected, represents in many important points the fauna 
of other and still less accessible regions. We purpose briefly to recapitulate 
the more striking forms, and to comment on their vertical distribution. 

The human species in Switzerland does not afford any marked deviation 
from the ordinary type. The time is long gone by when a zoologist could, 
as Linnaeus did, point to the cretin of the Alps as an example of a monstrous 
variety of man. The human skulls found in the Pfahlbauten of Switzer- 
land do not essentially differ from the existing Swiss forms. But at La 
Tiniere, according to the testimony of M. Morlot, a human skeleton has been 
discovered, which exhibits the small, round, 1 brachycephalic ' type of skull, 
akin to those of the 4 stone period ' of Denmark. 

The order Carnivora is well represented in Switzerland. The lynx 
(Felis Lynx) and the wild cat (F. Catus) are to be found at high elevations 
in the Alps. The former, in the Pyrenees, reaches the vertical height of 
11,300 ft.; its 1 bathymetrical ' distribution in the Alps is unrecorded. 
Up to a thousand feet are found the marten (Martes foma), the weasel 
(Putorius vulgaris), and the polecat (Putorius fcetidus). The si oat, or ermine, 
reaches a higher elevation than any other Alpine carnivore ; it is found at 
the height of 10,000 ft. Next beneath it, at 9,000 ft, lives the brown 
bear (Ursus arctos). The means which would enable the zoologist con- 
fidently to decide whether the bear of the Alps (U. Arctos) and the 
Pyrenean bear (Ursus pyrenaicus) are really distinct species, as was alleged 
many years ago by Frederic Cuvier, are wanting, and it is to be hoped 
that some traveller will bring over a complete series of skulls, old and 
young, male and female, of the Pyrenean bear, which will at once solve this 
question. 

The order Ruminantia exhibits many interesting examples. In the whole 
world, the Alps, the Pyrenees, the Carpathians, and Albanian mountains, 
are the sole spots where the chamois or gems (Rupicapra Tragus) still 
survives, almost the solitary representative of the antelopine genus in 
Europe. The chamois ranges to an elevation of 12,000 ft. It has so long 
been selected as the representative of the Alpine fauna, that any comment 
on the most striking and picturesque animal of Switzerland will be super- 
fluous. The goats of the Alps are represented by the common domestic 
goat (Hircus JEgagrus) and the ibex, bouquetin, or stein bock (Capra Ihex). 
The horns of the male bouquetin are strong, thick, subquadrangular, and 
frequently extend to a length of several feet ; those of the female are much 
smaller. The bouquetin is stated to be identical with the ibex of Pliny, 
and the alysQ dyowi iv hifivi) of iElian. However this may be, there is little 
doubt that the bouquetin is rapidly becoming extinct, and that there will 
soon be very few examples left of a species which was, probably once 
common, as it has left its remains in the Swiss lake-habitatons. An allied 
example of wild goat is found in the Pyrenees, the Pyrenean tur (JEgoceros 
pyrcnaica), where it is the representative of the Alpine bouquetin. The 
breeds of sheep and oxen in Switzerland do not essentially differ from those 
of Central Europe, the nature of the soil necessarily precluding the exten- 
sive distribution of sheep in the highlands. The deer of Switzerland are 



ALPINE ZOOLOGY. 



Ixiii 



also the South German forms, the red deer (Cervus Elaplius), the fallow 
deer {Dama vulgaris), and the roebuck (Capreoius Caprcea). None of them 
range nearly to so high an elevation in the Alps as the chamois or the ibex, 
whose firmer feet and coarser digestive apparatus enable them to ascend to 
higher vertical zones, and to subsist on a less nutritive diet than the solid- 
horned cervine ruminants. The hog of Switzerland is the wild boar of 
France and Germany ; the marsh-hog, whose flesh was eaten by the men 
who built the Pfahlbauten, having long since passed away. The horses and 
asses of the Alps are most usually seen under the form of the common 
hybrid, or mule, which alone is sufficiently strong and sure-footed for the 
difficult tracks. 

The Cheiroptera, or bats, of the Alps are confined chiefly to the mountains 
of inferior height, and do not ascend above the snow-line. The ordinary 
continental bat (Vespertilio murinus), the noctula (V. proterus), the 
barbastelle (Plecotus Barbastellus), the small horse-shoe bat {Rhinolophus 
hipposideros), the great horse-shoe bat (JRhinolophus ferrum eqiiinum), the 
Vespertilio Nattereri, and the large-eared bat (Plecotus auritus), are typical 
of the Alpine fauna. Other species have been stated to be found, but, 
according to Tschudi, they are of less frequent occurrence. 

The Alpine Insectivora are all of characteristically European type. The 
hedgehog (JErinaceus europceus), the land-shrew (Sorex araneus), and the 
water-shrew (Sorex fodiens) are Alpine forms. The white-tailed shrew 
(Sorex leucodon), a beautiful species, of which the back is reddish-brown and 
the belly white, is also frequently found. Besides these, the mole (Talpa 
europaa) is common, and it is even found in places like the valley of 
Urseren, surrounded on every side by rocky ground, where the animal 
cannot subsist. The reasons which have led to the isolation of some of 
these individual forms are unknown, and the presence of the mole in these 
valleys is inexplicable on the supposition of their migration from other 
localities during the present topographical conditions of the soil. 
■ The Rodentia of the Alps are not numerous. The marmot (Arctomys Mar- 
motd) is to be found in its small burrows over the whole of the Alps, where 
it is persecuted by the hunters, who eat the flesh and use the fat as a remedial 
agent, which is sold at a high price. Kircher considered the marmot to be 
descended from the badger and the squirrel, as the armadillo was believed to be 
the offspring of the hedgehog and the tortoise. Several species of campagnol 
(Hypudaus alpinus, Wag., H. Nageri, H. rufescentefuscus) are to be found in 
the Alps, of which the specific distinction is not yet clearly made out. 
Wagner describes a species named Hypudceus petrophilus, from Allgau; an- 
other, found in the French Alps, is termed Arvicolaleucurus. The Lepus va- 
riabilis, or alpestris, is also found in the Alps : the same species extends from 
the 55th parallel in the eastern hemisphere northward to the Arctic circle. 

Alpine Birds. — The number of birds known in the Alps is very great. One 
hundred and thirty-nine species occur, being one-half of all the birds, residents 
or passengers, which occur in Central Europe. Even water-birds are to be 
found— the goose, duck, grebe, and gull. The grallatorial birds comprise the 
genera plover, stork, crane, curlew, snipe, sandpiper, lapwin?, rail, crake, galli- 
nule, phalaropus, and coot. Amongst the Gallinacea we find the dove, the 
ptarmigan (Tetrao Lagopus), grouse, the blackcock {Tetrao Tetrix), the Geli- 
notte (T. Bonasia), the woodgrouse ( T. Urogallus), the bartavelle ( T.rufus) 
and the partridge. The Passeres exhibit the nuthatch, creeper, crow, oriole, 



lxiv 



IXTf ODUCTION. 



shrike, warbler, wren, titlark, wheatear, crossbill, finch, bunting, thrush, 
starling, fly-catcher, wagtail, lark, titmouse, and swallow. The Scansores 
show us the woodpecker, wryneck, hoopoe, cuckoo, and kingfisher, while 
twelve species of Raptures are known, i.e. the Lammenreyer (Gypaetos bar- 
batus), two eagles, five falcons, and four owls. The birds in Monte Rosa, 
which habitually ascend above the level of 10,000 ft., are the Lanimergeyer 
{Circus cineraceus), gerfalcon (Falco vespei^tinus)^ and the three grouse. 

Alpine Reptiles. — The common frog is found nearly at the height of 
10,000 ft,; the ringed snake at 7,000, and the viper, blind worm, and 
Alpine newt at 6,000. Another species of viper (V. chersea), several newt? 
the common spotted species, and another quite black, the Alpine frog, 
and the mountain lizard, occur at less elevations. 

Alpine Fishes. — The loach, the pike, the salmon, the perch, and the 
umber, form the principal types of Alpine ichthyology. The same confusioi 
exists respecting the species of trout and salmon inhabiting the Alps a . 
between those of Northern Europe, and much further information is requirei 
on this topic. 

Invertebrata. — The Alpine Invertebrata do not call for any special 
remark. The Mollusca attain often high elevations. Thus, the Vitrhu 
diaphanea, which is the common Alpine snail, mounts so high as 7,500 ft. 
while other species, e. g. V. pellucida, Achatina lubrica, Limneus ovatus 
Pisidium fontinale, Helix arbustorum, are restricted to lower elevations. Tb> 
Annulosa merely exhibit the forms of Central Europe. The Gomphocero.' 
pedestris. allied to the locust, ranges so high as 7,000 ft., and the Tipula t( 
8,000. The gadflies and the Hymenoptera also frequently attain great heights. 
A few Myriapoda and Crustacea are to be found at high elevations. 

Art. XIX. — Meteorology and Hypsometry of the Alps. 

Instruments used by Travellers. 

The study of the meteorology of high mountain regions is still in it 
infancy. Isolated observations supply data for speculation, and sugges 
trains of enquiry, but no positive conclusions can be derived without syste- 
matic observation, continued, in some cases, for a considerable period. 
There is reason to hope that this branch of scientific enquiry will hence- 
forward be efficiently prosecuted in the country to whose share it naturally 
falls. It is said that arrangements have been made by a number of Swis 
men of science for the establishment of Alpine observatories, at whicl 
observations may be made continuously upon an uniform plan, and with 
reliable instruments. So far from discouraging travellers from carrying 
instruments and making observations, the effect of this announcement should 
be the exact opposite. Isolated observations, which hitherto have had little 
or no value, will hereafter, when properly made, be comparable with many 
simultaneous observations made at a number of stations in the Alps, and 
thereby acquire a significance which they would not otherwise possess. 
Whenever the projected arrangements in Switzerland are completed, notice 
will doubtless be given to those interested in the subject. As soon as the 
precise nature of the intended observations, the position of the stations, and 
the hours of observation, are made known, there will be an inducement to 
travellers to choose instruments and make observations elsewhere in the 



METEOROLOGY AND HYPSOMETRY OF TfiE ALPS. 



Lxv 



Alpine chain that may be compared with those in Switzerland. Amateurs 
must be reminded that it costs but very little more trouble to use the pre- 
cautions which give to observations a certain scientific value, and that 
without these precautions meteorological and other instruments are mere 
toys, that may amuse the owner, but have no real use. Useful observations 
are made with good instruments, they are made as far as possible comparable 
with standard observations made in fixed observatories, and they are preserved 
by an accurate record. 

Good instruments may be obtained from many good makers to be found 
in England, France, Germany, and Switzerland. The instruments com- 
monly sold are useless for scientific purposes. 

To make future observations in the Alps comparable with those about to 
be established in Switzerland, the instruments used by the observer should 
be carefully compared with the Swiss standards, and the differences noted. 
The mode adopted there for protecting the thermometer from radiation, and 
for avoiding other sources of error, should be followed as nearly as possible. 
As far as it may be possible, observations should be made at the hours 
adopted by the Swiss observers, allowance being made for the difference 
between the observer's watch and Swiss time. Much inconvenience will be 
avoided by having instruments graduated on the scales universally adopted 
on the Continent. The Fahrenheit scale for the thermometer is a relic of 
barbarism, and is a source of constant, though petty, annoyance in com- 
paring English with foreign instruments, or even in ordinary conversation 
with foreigners. It may be hoped that most travellers will hereafter carry 
thermometers graduated on the centigrade scale, and barometers graduated 
to millimetres, thereby greatly facilitating the use of tables, as well as the 
comparison with foreign instruments. 

Although the prospect of making useful meteorological observations 
depends mainly on arrangements which are not yet fully in operation, every 
traveller may make his contribution to the Hypsometry of the Alps. The 
1 heights of the principal peaks, and of a multitude of minor points, those of 
known passes, villages, lakes, and generally all those interesting to an ordi- 
j nary traveller, have been determined with great accuracy in Switzerland in 
the course of the survey for that nol le work, the Federal Map. The French 
i Government Map of Dauphine, when published, will contain a considerable 
number of heights accurately determined ; and in the Austrian Alps the 
older determinations, often inaccurate, have been verified and corrected by 
; a new triangulation, the results of which have not yet been published. 
Piedmont and Savoy are still in a very backward condition. A certain 
number of heights have been determined trigonometrically, but the writer 
; is not assured that the results merit complete confidence, and there are many 
mountains and passes of which it is certain that no trustworthy measures 
have yet been made. There is, therefore, room for useful activity on the 
part of travellers carrying good instruments. It is commonly believed that 
the determinations of heights by means of the barometer are not comparable 
in point of accuracy with trigonometrical measurements. This is true in 
respect to accessible points, where the measurement has been made by means 
i of angles simultaneously observed between the upper station and a lower 
! station, whose height and true position are already known. Comparatively 
i few heights have been determined in this manner, and those of points not 

d 



Ixvi 



INTRODUCTION. 



reached by the observers, determined by means of angles taken from known 
stations, are liable to the serious objection that, if these stations be near, 
there is no certainty that the same p«dnt is seen from both the lower stations, 
while, if they be distant, an error in the assumed coefficient of refraction 
will very materially affect the result. 

M. Plantamour, the distinguished director of the Observatory at Geneva, 
has shown what an important cause of error in the barometric determina- 
tion of heights depends upon the difference between the true mean tempe- 
rature of the stratum of air included between the upper and lower stations, 
and the assumed temperature derived from the mean of thermometric obser- 
vations taken at both stations near to the surface of the earth. He has 
shown, at the same time, that the consequent error is greatest when obser- 
vations are taken at the hottest and coldest hours of the day, and least at the 
hours when the thermomerer is nearest to the mean temperature of the day., 
i. e. about three hours after sunrise, and half an hour after sunset. The 
multiplication of stations in Switzerland, where the thermometer and baro- 
meter will be regularly observed and recorded, will, among other conse- 
quences, give the means for greatly increasing the accuracy of barometric 
measurements of heights. The general result to be derived from the recent 
discussions on this subject, is that the various processes commonly adopted 
for the determination of heights admit of much less accuracy than is 
commonly supposed. 

Art. XIXX, — The Snow Region of the Alps. 

Glaciers, — Avalanches. * 

A large part of the heat which the sun sends to the earth is expended 
in converting water into vapour, and raising it into the atmosphere. As 
soon as any portion of the atmosphere becomes over-saturated with vapour, 
this is precipitated, at first in the form of cloud, and, if not reabsorbed, ulti- 
mately reaches the earth again as rain. Several causes, which it is beyond 
our limits to discuss, eomoine to lower the temperature of the air as it is 
raised above the earth's surface, and at a sufficient height it becomes so cold 
that whatever vapour is condensed takes the form of snow and sleet. In 
falling to the earth this is usually reconverted into water, but in high moun- 
tain districts, where the temperature of the surface is also low, the greater 
part of the aqueous vapour returned from the atmosphere remains in the 
form of snow. When the air is calm, the snow of the high Alps consists of 
regular crystalline forms of exqu'site beauty, being wonderfully varied modi- 
fications of a six-rayed star. When the air is disturbed, the snow assumes a 
new condition, which is that of small frozen pellets, little larger than a pin's 
head. It is this which forms that blinding snow-dust well known to those 
who have ever experienced the tourmente. The snow that falls on the 
exposed ridges and steep slopes does not long remain there. The larger 
portion is generally carried away by the wind ; a further portion accumu- 
lates till the slope becomes too steep, when it slides down In an avalanche ; 
and a small part is disposed of by melting and evaporation. The result is, 

* In giving a brief sketch of the present state of our knowledge of the phenomena of the snow 
region of the Alps, the writer involuntarily enters upon a discussion wh'ch ha> furnished abundant 
matter of controversy, now in great part set to rest. Those who desire fuller information may refer 
to the original writings of Rendu, Forbes, Agassiz, arid Tyndall,or may satisfy themselves with an 
article in the Edinburgh Review, for January 1861.— [Ed.] 



THE SNOW REGION OF THE ALPS. 



lxvii 



that nearly the whole of the snow falling on high mountains is retained in 
the hollows, or on the more level parts of the surface. If these hollows and 
plateaux are below the level of perpetual snow, or, in other words, if they 
are so situated that the annual melting equals the quantity of fresh snow 
annually supplied, no accumulation can take place. A certain quantity of 
snow is gathered into these storehouses every winter, and is removed during 
the following summer, the same process being renewed year after year. This 
condition of things is seen in the Carpathians, the ranges of Central Spain, 
and many other European mountains, whose summits rise above the level of 
perpetual snow. 

The case is otherwise when the winter snows are gathered in hollows and 
plateaux where the rate of melting is less than the annual supply. The 
first impression of a person speculating on the subject would be, that under 
such circumstances the accumulation would go on without limit, and that a 
layer of snow constantly increasing in thickness would be formed on these 
parts of the surface. To understand what actually occurs, a little detail is 
necessary. 

The higher region of the Alps, and other high mountains, is subject to a 
constant alternation between heat and cold. In clear weather this takes 
place between each day and night; in clouded weather the intervals are 
longer. The sun shining upon the mass of snow-dust and niiuute crystals 
partially melts them, and ultimately fuses them together, till they form 
grains of larger size, which are frozen together into compact particles of ice 
during the next interval of cold. At first this process is confined to the 
uppermost layer of the snow, but as the alternate melting and congelation 
are frequently renewed, a similar change extends through the mass, which 
is gradually converted into that peculiar condition that has been called neve, 
or in German Firn. The longer the exposure of a layer of snow has lasted, 
the more complete the change into neve ; the sooner a fresh layer falls, the 
more imperfect will be the conversion of the older one. 

A section of the upper strata of the neve, here and there exposed on the 
sides of a crevasse, shows successive layers whose upper surfaces are seen to 
be more near the condition of ice than the interior portions. In the lapse 
of years the neve increases layer by layer, one of them corresponding to 
every considerable fall of snow, until a considerable weight presses on the 
lower and older portions of the mass. 

To understand what effects are produced by this pressure, we must bear 
in mind an important property of ice, to which the name regelation has been 
given. Two surfaces of ice, at or very near the melting-point, when brought 
into contact, freeze together so completely that no trace of their original 
separating surface remains. Adequate pressure applied to a mass of frag- 
ments of ice, by forcing them into positions where their surfaces come into 
contact, causes regelation, and finally welds the whole into a single block. 
Such is the change that is effected in the recesses where the Alpine snows 
are stored. Having been first brought to the condition of granular neve by 
the sun's action, these grains are more and more completely united in the 
deeper portions of the mass into nearly compact ice. 

If the reservoirs of which we have spoken were closed basins of sufficient 
depth, they would simply become filled with stationary masses ofice ; but, as 
a general rule, this is not the case. They partake of the general slope of the 

d2 



lxviii 



INTRODUCTION. 



mountain, and each is connected with the lower level by a valley, glen, or 
ravine, through which the snow would speedily flow if it were converted into 
water. But, under adequate pressure, ice, and especially such imperfect ice 
as is formed from the neve, possesses a considerable degree of plasticity. It 
yields in the direction of least resistance. A piece of ice compressed in a 
mould yields until it fills all the inequalities, and produces an accurate 
cast of the mould. The vast masses of neve that are piled in the upper 
valleys of the Alps yield in the same way to the pressure caused by their 
own weight, and gradually flow downwards through the channel of these 
valleys. In other words, they become glaciers. 

We now see that the essential condition for the formation of a glacier is the 
existence of a reservoir large enough, and at a sufficient height, to accumu- 
late such a mass of neve as will, by its weight, convert its own substance into 
ice, and force it to flow in whatever direction it encounters the least resist- 
ance. In moving onward the glacier conforms to the laws that regulate the 
motion of imperfect fluids. The resistance of the sides and the bed on which 
it moves retards the motion of the adjoining portions of the ice. The centre, 
therefore, moves faster than the sides, and the surface faster than the bottom. 
When the ice-stream flows through a bend in the valley, the point of most 
rapid motion is shifted from the centre towards the convex side of the curve. 
While the ice thus conforms to the laws of fluid motion, the internal changes 
bv which it is enabled thus to comport itself are peculiar, and have no 
example among other bodies of which we have experience. The nature of 
the motion, involving constant changes in the relative positions of the 
particles, implies fracture, which must be frequently renewed, but this would 
speedily reduce the whole to a mass of incoherent fragments, if it were not 
for the property of regelation. At each step in the progress of the glacier 
this repairs the damage done to the continuity of the ice, and by the two- 
fold process of fracture and regelation, the glacier moves onwarl, constantly 
changing its form, yet presenting a continuous mass of solid hard ice. 

The rate of progress of a glacier depends upon various causes, but mainly 
on those which would regulate its motion if it were converted into water, — 
viz. the dimensions of the reservoir, and the inclination of the slope down 
which it flows. It is also influenced by temperature : the more near the ice 
is to its melting point, the more easily it yields, and the faster it moves. The 
quickest progress yet observed has been on the Mer de Glace near Chamouni, 
some parts of which advance 30 inches a day in summer, and about 1G inches 
in winter. It is nearly certain that the cold of winter penetrates but to a 
slight depth into the interior of the glacier, and this accounts for the con- 
tinuance of the motion in that season. 

The above description applies to true glaciers, which, as we have seen, are 
rivers of ice flowing through definite channels. There are in the Alps a vast 
number of smaller accumulations of neve, gathered into the lesser hollows 
and recesses of the surface, that give birth to minor glaciers, or glaciers of 
the second order, in which the phenomena of the true glaciers are imperfectly 
exhibited. In these the conversion of the neve into ice is incomplete, and the 
approach to the law of semi-fluid motion but slight. These secondary glaciers 
usually lie on steep declivities, and their downward motion, which is trifling 
as compared with that of the greater ice-streams, is mainly effected by 
sliding on the underlying surface of rock. 



THE SNOW REGION OF THE ALPS. 



Ixix 



Returning to the description of the true glaciers, we have next to remark 
that although the ice of which they are composed is amenable to pressure, it 
is entirely devoid of the other chief attribute of imperfect fluids or viscous 
bodies — it is incapable of yielding to tension. When the general movement 
of the glacier tends to draw asunder adjoining portions of ice, this is unable 
to obey the strain, the mass is rent through, and in this manner are formed 
the crevasses. These are among the best known and most characteristic of 
glacier phenomena. They are most numerous and widest in summer, when 
the glacier moves most rapidly, and are partially or completely closed up 
in winter, when the onward flow of the ice is slackened. But the same 
causes recur year after year, subject to slight variation owing to the differ- 
ences of seasons, and, as a general rule, crevasses reappear annually in the 
same places, though the ice in which the rent takes place may have been 
some hundreds of feet higher up the stream in the preceding season. Crevasses 
are at first narrow fissures, and are gradually enlarged by the onward motion 
of the glacier, increasing from a few inches to many feet in width, and some- 
times reaching to a great depth. The positions in which crevasses usually 
oppose the most serious obstacle to the Alpine traveller, are those where the 
bed of the glacier suddenly changes its inclination from a gentle slope to a 
steeper declivity. The ice, as it bends over the convex surface, is rent by 
transverse crevasses of great depth and width, which often cross the entire 
breadth of the ice-stream, and these are repeated as each successive portion 
arrives at the same point, so that the result is to form a series of deep 
parallel trenches, divided by massive walls, or ramparts of ice, giving the 
glacier when seen from a distance the appearance of a gigantic staircase. It 
not unfrequently happens that, in the same places where the ice is thus rent 
by one set of parallel crevasses, another system of crevasses may be formed 
running transversely across the fir st. In this way the whole of the surface 
is cut up into isolated tower-shaped masses. When first formed, the sides of 
crevasses are more or less vertical walls, with weli-defined edges, but the 
exposed parts of the ice are rapidly attacked by the sun, and even by the air 
and by rain. In a short time the flat-topped ramparts and turrets have their 
upper edges eaten away till the broad rampart becomes a sharp ridge, and 
the tower a pointed pinnacle. This is the origin of those singular and beauti- 
ful forms that are often seen towards the lower part of an ice-fall in the 
greater gUiciers, where the crevasses penetrate to a depth that must be 
reckoned by hundreds of feet. 

A peculiar sort of crevasse, somewhat different in its origin from the rest, 
is best known by the German name Bergschrund. This appears to arise 
along the line of separation between the fields of neve that partake more or 
less of the downward movement of the glacier, and the upper snow-slopes 
that remain attached to the rocky skeleton of the mountain. A continuous 
fissure, sometimes 20 or 30 ft. in width, marks the separation, and interposes 
a formidable obstacle to the traveller who seeks to reach the higher peaks. 

When an ice-fall occurs in lhe higher part of a glacier, where it is covered 
by a considerable depth of neve, the crevasses naturally cut through the 
neve, and expose sections showing the outcrop of the successive beds of snow 
from which it was originally formed. When it is cut up by the intersection 
of transverse crevasses, the neve often appears in the form of huge square 
blocks, known since Saussure by the name seracs. s 



Ixx 



INTRODUCTION. 



A remarkable phenomenon, seen only on the greater glacier?, is that 
presented by the so-called inoulins. During the summer, when the sun 
acts with great force, the melttd ice soon forms rivulets on the surface. In 
portions of the glacier intersected by crevasses the superficial water is quickly 
carried off ; but where the ice is compact, these rivulets uniting together 
may accumulate until they form a considerable stream. Sooner or later this 
encounters a crevice, perhaps at first very small, but this is enlarged by the 
action of falling water till a vertical shaft is formed in the ice, through which 
the stream is poured in a waterfall that is lost to sight in the depths of the 
glacier. 

Among other apparent objections to the above-given explanation of the 
origin of glaciers, it may occur to the reader that as considerable pressure is 
necessary to account for the conversion of the neve into ice, the upper strata 
which have not undergone this pressure ought to continue in the state of 
neve, and that the upp^r surface of the glacier should consist of neve, and 
not of ice. This objection loses sight of the vast amount of ablation, or lo-s, 
which a glacier annually undergoes through the melting of the surface. By 
mounting high enough on each glacier, we do find the upper surface formed 
of neve, but as it descends to a lower level a fresh slice of the surface is 
annually cut away by the sun's heat, and, taking a rough average, it is not 
too much to assert that the ice which we find on the surface in the middle or 
lower part of a glacier was 200 feet deep at the time when the same part lay 
one mile higher up the stream. For this and other reasons the wriier is 
persuaded that the depth of the greater glaciers has hitherto been much 
underrated. If we possessed continuous series of observations on any of 
those glaciers, showing the annual rate of progress in successive parts of the 
stream, and the corresponding loss by ablation, we should be able to infer 
with great probability the thickness of the deposit in the reservoir from 
whence it flows. 

It is clear that the farther a glacier flows towards the lower region, the 
greater will be the annual amount of ablation. At length it must reach a 
point where the amount of annual melting of the ice equals the amount 
borne down by the progress of the glacier, and at that point the latter must 
come to an end. The inequalities of the seasons may cause a slight oscilla- 
tion in the length, especially when several successive seasons concur to 
produce the same effect. Abundant winter snow and cool summers cause 
the glaciers to advance, while opposite conditions cause a contrary result. 
The more considerable changes that have been occasionally recorded have 
been probably caused by local accidents. 

During the summer months, as we have seen, the glacier is covered with 
streamlets produced by the melting of the surface ; the sun is constantly 
eating away the edges and sides of the crevasses, and the air and the earth 
dissolve a portion of the under surface. The plenteous supply of water 
from all these sources finallv makes its way to the rocky bed, where it passes 
on under the ice, and finally issues in a single stream from the foot of the 
glacier. Here the ice usually forms a dome-shaped arch, whence the stream 
flows out into the valley, and whose beautiful azure tints attract the notice 
of travellers. 

The appearance of the surface of a glacier usually differs much from the 
previous conception formed by a stranger. Instead of the clear hues of ice, 



THE SNOW REGION OF THE ALPS. 



Ixxi 



he finds it soiled by earth and other impurities, carried from the slopes of 
the adjoining mountains by violent winds. The surface is generally very 
uneven, for, even in the parts free from crevasses, the same ice over which the 
traveller walks was at some earlier period of its history rent by fissures, and 
has probably passed through the wild confusion of an ice-fall. Lower down, 
when pressure came into play, the broken members were welded together 
again so as to form a continuous mass, and the greater irregularities of the 
surface were removed ; but many minor hillocks and depressions, unsus- 
pected at a distance, preserve a record of the changes that have been 
undergone. 

Besides the minor impurities that fleck the surface of the ice-stream, there 
are other more important foreign bodies borne down by it. The traveller 
who views it from some commanding station will almost always detect a 
fringe of blocks of stone, of various sizes, lying along both sides near to the 
bank, and may usually trace one, two, or more lines of blocks descending 
from the upper end of the glacier, and marking a continuous trail along the 
course of the stream. The general name for these trains of blocks is 
moraines. In the ceaseless progress of decay which is eating away the solid 
materials of the mountains, blocks of stone, accompanied by finer gravel, 
constantly fall from the steep slopes above upon the surface of the ice. As 
this gradually advances it receives fresh contributions, and in this manner 
are accumulated the blocks and gravel along the sides of a glacier that are 
known as lateral moraines. As the glacier is wasted away by melting in the 
lower part of its course, a portion of the lateral moraine is stranded on the 
bank ; a further portion finds its way ^to the glacier-bed through the cre- 
vasses that usually abound near the sides; and, except under peculiar 
circumstances, a small portion only is carried down to the foot of the glacier. 
When two glacier streams flow together, each being provided with its lateral 
moraines, the consequence is that the two moraines that are brought together 
become joined and confounded into one in the centre of the united ice- 
stream. In this manner is formed a medial moraine. Being far from the 
edge of the glacier, it is much less exposed to destruction than the lateral 
moraine. It sometimes disappears from sight in an ice-fall, but as the cre- 
vasses, though deep, rarely penetrate through the entire thickness of the ice, 
the blocks of stone fall only to a certain depth, and in due time, when the 
upper ice is removed by ablation, they come again into view. In this way 
huge blocks of stone are borne down from the higher crests of the Alps to 
the lower valleys, with the edges still fresh, and without having suffered 
mechanical violence. Most of the greater glaciers are formed by the union 
of a number of smaller separate ice streams. To the junction of each 
of these affluents belongs a separate medial moraine, which may often 
be traced for many miles from the point of junction to the foot of the 
glacier, disclosing the mineral composition of parts of the range difficult or 
impossible of access. When composed of large blocks, a medial moraine 
sometimes forms a ridge 30 or 40 feet in height, running along the middle of 
the glacier. The first impression is, that this ridge is formed of rocks piled 
one over the other ; but it is found that each block rests upon ice, and that 
the reason why they form a ridge raised above the general level is that the 
blocks, and the gravel which accompanies them, have protected the ice from 
ablation. 



lxxii 



INTRODUCTION. 



The mass of blocks and finer matter accumulated in front of a glacier 
forms the terminal moraine. Its extent depends very much more on the 
form of the ground in the place where the glacier comes to an end, than on 
the quantity of matter transported by the glacier. In the course of ages 
this would almost always suffice to produce a considerable mound, if the 
end of the glacier remained nearly at the same point, and if it did not often 
happen that the larger portion falls into the bed of the stream issuing from 
the glacier, and is there water-worn, reduced in size, and gradually carried 
onward through the valley. 

Not less important than the transport of rocks on the upper surface of 
the glacier is the action of the under surface on the mineral materials with 
which it comes into contact. The motion of a glacier is mainly effected by 
means of the internal motion of the ice, by which one part is enabled to 
advance more rapidly than another, but in part the motion (as originally 
conjectured by Saussure) is accomplished by the sliding of the under surface 
of the ice upon its bed. The smaller particles of stone and sand that find 
their way under the ice are set into the surface, and, urged by the enormous 
weight of the glacier, become a most powerful graving tool, which wears 
away the surface of the hardest rocks. Blocks of stone falling from the 
moraines to the bottom of the glacier through crevasses are rapidly ground 
down in this gigantic mill, and the materials are reduced partly to small 
scored pebbles, and partly to an impalpable powder, finer than the finest mud. 
Every stream issuing from a glacier is at once recognised by its milky 
colour, derived from this minutely-pulverized matter, and often retained in 
suspension for a distance of 60 miles and more from its source. It is this 
glacier-silt which has largely contributed to fill up the heads of the Alpine 
lakes, and no doubt a considerable quantity is carried directly to the sea 
through the Po, the Adige, and other rivers of the Eastern Alps. 

By the process above described, every rock over which a glacier passes is 
worn in a peculiar manner. Not only are all projecting asperities removed, 
and reduced to the condition of uniform convex faces, but the surface is 
ground and polished in a way entirely different from the action of water or 
other known agents. The presence of fine striae extending for a considerable 
distance, occasionally mingled with larger grooves, is one of the characteristic 
indications of glacial action. These have been studied with much attention 
of late years, since their importance as evidence of the former extension of 
the glaciers has been recognised by geologists. After much discussion, little 
difference remains among competent men of science as to the fact that the 
existing glaciers occupied a very much wider area than they now do, at a 
period geologically very recent. The exact limits of that area may not be 
settled, and there is room for discussion as to some of the results attributed 
to their action ; but the fact that they played an important part as geological 
agents, not only in the Alps, but in other mountain countries where they do 
not now exist, is generally admitted. 

The geological agency of glaciers is discussed in Art. XIV. Many other 
interesting branches of enquiry connected with the glaciers remain untouched 
in the foregoing sketch. They are not only amongst the grandest and most 
impressive objects in nature, but at the same time amongst the most fertile 
in instruction to the student of her laws, while their influence on the climate 
and conditions of large portions of the earth is of vast importance to man- 
kind in general. 



THE SNOW REGION OF THE ALPS. 



lxxiii 



To form an adequate idea of the part played by glaciers in the general 
economy of nature, let the reader consider for a moment the consequences 
that would arise in our continent if they were to disappear. All the 
greatest rivers would at once be reduced to insignificant streams, rising in 
rainy weather, and dwindling away in time of drought, The Danube 
nominally rises in Suabia, but its true source, which is the Inn, along with 
the Salza, the Drave, and its other chief tributaries, derives from the glaciers 
the streams that maintain the level of the river. The Rhine, the Rhone, 
the Po, and the Adige, are fed almost exclusively by the Alpine glaciers, 
and it is these that maintain the abundant supplies of pure water that 
enable the Italian lakes to diffuse fertility throughout the valley of the Po. 

The intimate structure of glacier ice has been much studied and discussed, 
and has revealed facts of new and unexpected interest Those who feel an 
interest in the physics of the subject will not fail to read Professor Tyndall's 
highly interesting work, ' The Glaciers of the Alps.' 

The phenomena of glaciers may be studied in most parts of the Alpine 
chain where the average height of the peaks approaches 11,000 English 
feet. Reckoning from west to east, the chief glacier districts are, the neigh- 
bourhood of the Mont Pelvoux in Dauphine, the range between the Aiguille 
de la Sassiere and the Roche Melon, the group surrounding the Grand 
Paradis, the range of Mont Blanc, the entire range of the Pennine Alps 
from the St. Bernard Pass to the Monte Moro, the Bernese Alps from the 
Genmii to the Grimsel, the Sustenhorn group from the Titlis to the Furka, 
the range of the Todi and Biferten Stock, the Adula group, the Bernina 
group, the ranges south of the Stelvio Pass from the Orteler Spitze to the 
Venezia Spitze, the Adamello range between the Val Camonica and the Yal 
Rendena, the Oetzthal glaciers in the Tyrol, and lastly, the snowy range 
extending from the Krimmler Tauern to the Heiligenbluter Tauern, and 
culminating in the Gross Glockner. The greatest single glacier is that of 
Aletsch, draining the S. side of the Bernese Oberland group. It descends 
in one unbroken stream with a length of 15 miles and an average breadth of 
fully one mile. 

Avalanches. — It is impossible to quit the snow region of the Alps without 
a brief reference to avalanches (Germ. Lawinen). These are of different 
kinds and very different in their effects, according as they consist of snow, 
neve, or ice. The snow, which sometimes falls in prodigious quantities on 
the slopes of Alpine valleys in winter, is little compact, and when it 
accumulates to such a point as to begin to move, the disturbance sometimes 
extends to a great distance, and a mass of snow sufficient to overwhelm a 
village falls in the course of a few minutes. The chief danger from these 
avalanches, which are very common in some valleys, and are called Staub 
Lawinen (dust avalanches), arises from the roofs giving way under the 
weight of the snow. So much air is contained in the snow that it is possible to 
breathe freely, and many persons have been delivered, or have been able to 
work their own way out, after being buried for many days and even weeks. 

Far more formidable than the Staub Lawinen are those called in German 
Switzerland Grund Lawinen, These usually occur during the spring, after 
the winter snow has become partially consolidated, and approaches to the 
consistency of neve. When an unusual quantity has fallen in the preceding 
winter, the heat of the sun in spring sometimes causes the descent of very 



lxxiv 



INTRODUCTION. 



considerable masses in a semi-compact condition. The momentum gained 
in descending several hundreds or thousands of feet makes this description 
of avalanche very destructive in its effects. A broad passage is cleared 
through a pine forest as though the trees had been but stubble, and when it 
reaches inhabited places, which does not often occur, it either crushes the 
houses on which it falls, or buries them so completely as to make the work 
of extrication very difficult. In the higher valleys of the Alps these 
avalanches are very common in the spring, falling before the herdsmen go 
to the upper chalets. The remains are often to be seen throughout the 
summer, and not unfrequently serve to bridge over a torrent which works 
for itself a passage beneath the snow. 

Comparatively small glaciers, lying on a steep rocky slope, have in a few 
rare instances been known to detach themselves wholly or partially from 
their beds, and to fall into some lower valley. Should this occur in the 
neighbourhood of inhabited places, the result is a catastrophe as formidable 
as that caused by the fall of portions of a mountain. The village of Randa 
was in 1819 all but completely destroyed by the blast of air occasioned by 
the fall of a portion of the Bies glacier. Smaller ice-avalanches are of 
daily occurrence in the high Alps, in situations where a small glacier 
reaches the edge of a steep rocky slope. In warm weather, when the 
movement of the glacier is accelerated, blocks of ice frequently fall over the 
edge of the precipice, and in falling are broken into smaller fragments, each 
of which is, however, capable of doing severe injury. The guides, who are 
acquainted with the places exposed to the descent of such masses of ice, are 
very careful to avoid them, or else to pass very early in the day before the 
sun has set the ice in motion. Of this class are the avalanches that are seen 
and listened to with so much interest by travellers in the Bernese Oberland. 
They are apt to feel surprise that what appears to be no more than the fall 
of a little snow down the rocky face of the Jungfrau, or the Wetterhorn, 
should cause a roar that is impressive even at the distance of a couple of 
miles. They learn, on closer acquaintance, that what has appeared to be 
mere dust is caused by the fall of blocks of ice of very many tons weight, 
which are shattered into smaller fragments, each of them as formidable as a 
cannon-ball. 

A description of avalanche, which is rarely encountered except by moun- 
taineers in the high Alps, arises where fresh snow rests upon steep slopes of 
ice or frozen neve. A trifling cause may set the loose snow in motion, and 
when this begins to slide it rarely ceases until the whole superficial stratum 
has reached the bottom of the slope. The danger is not so much that of 
being buried in the snow, as of being carried into the bergschrund which 
often lies gaping at the foot of such a slope. 

Art. XIV— Geology of the Alps * 

On turning his eyes round the horizon from any commanding position in 
the valley of the Fo, the spectator sees himself surrounded by avast rampart 
of mountains, open only on the eastern side, but elsewhere enclosing the 
plain of Piedmont within a continuous wall. The impression conveyed to 
the mind is that this great range, known under the collective name of 

* By M. E. Desor, of Neuchatel. 



GEOLOGY OF THE ALPS. 



lxxv 



Alps, forms but a single system, and has a common origin. The same im- 
pression is derived from the examination of a general map, such as that 
accompanying this volume. It is apparent that the ranges which enclose 
the plain of Piedmont, and extend eastward to the neighbourhood of Vienna, 
constitute but one chain, whose members are linked together by the action 
of causes common to them all. 

It is true that this impression is opposed to a theory, at one time very 
generally received, which attributed to each mountain chain a rectilinear 
axis, and a general direction making a fixed angle with the equator, and 
which sought to trace a connection between this fixed direction and the 
period at which the chain was upraised. The structure of the Alps does 
not appear to favour this theory. Everything points, on the contrary, to 
the conclusion that, however various may be the direction of the separate 
members of the chain, their elevation has been due to a single and conti- 
nuous process of upheaval. 

In this vast mass of mountain there are some portions which at first 
sight are distinguishable as separate groups, whose limits are more or less 
accurately definable, and it thus happens that certain denominations, such 
as Maritime Alps, Graian Alps, Pennine Alps, &c, have from an early period 
been affixed to certain portions of the chain. These denominations, most 
of which were admitted by the ancient geographers, arose from the desire to 
recognise certain obvious facts in the orography of the country, without 
reference to its geological structure ; but in several cases the divisions 
adopted by the physical geographer are the same that are suggested to the 
geologist by the sudy of the rocks of which the mountains are composed. 
Thus, the Maritime Alps, with a central granitic ridge limited by the valleys 
of the Stura and the Tinea, the Col d'Argentiere, and the Col di Tenda, 
form a group which is as well defined to the eye of the geologist as to that of 
the common observer. The same may be said of the Finsieraarhorn group, 
the Pelvoux group, the Carnic Alps, and generally of all the groups which 
have a well-defined crystalline nucleus. The case is otherwise when several 
crystalline nuclei approach each other so nearly that there is no depression 
or trough apparent between the neighbouring centres, and nothing in the 
form of the surface to indicate a separation between them. Thus the three 
groups which we shall designate as those of the Valais, the Simplon, and of 
Monte Rosa, exhibit crystalline centres which are separated by masses of 
sedimentary rocks ; but as many of the highest peaks are formed wholly or 
in part of the latter rocks — e.g. the Matterhorn and the Mischabelhorner — 
there is nothing to guide the ordinary topographer to establish the sub- 
divisions that are suggested to the mind of the geologist. 

The same observations apply to the Noric, and in some measure to the 
Rhaetian Alps. The physical features of the surface do not here conform to 
the geological structure. Geographers have necessarily followed the former 
as their guide, and as it was necessary to fix some limits to the separate 
groups, they have usually adopted a valley or gorge,* which affords to the 

* This is a very inadequate translation of the word ' cluse,' used by M. Desor in an interesting 
paper on the L:ikes of Switzerland, and in subsequent writings, to distinguish a class of Alpine 
valleys, usually narrow and confined between steep walls of rock, that cut transve- sely across the 
general direction of the riGges in the district where they occur, in the writer's opinion these are, 
in the literal sense of the word, cracks in the superficial strata, but he is unwilling to coin a new 
name which might appear to prejudge the question of their origin.— [Ed. j 



lxxvi 



INTRODUCTION. 



eye the external evidence of a separation between adjoining mountain 
masses. In this way the Pennine Alps have been held to extend from the 
Dora Baltea to the Toccia, and the Noric Alps from the Adige to Vienna. 

The geologist is forced to look for some more positive bases of classifica- 
tion than the mere contour of the surface. He endeavours, amid the 
irregularities and disturbances of the strata, to trace the causes which have 
operated in upraising the mountains and have given them their present 
form, as the comparative anatomist strives to trace the essential elements 
of the animal structure amidst the varied forms assumed by the different 
species. 

The general form and aspect of mountains depend upon the nature of the 
rocks of which they are composed, and on the intensity of forces that have 
upraised them. It is evident that peaks so bold in outline as the Matter- 
horn or Monte Viso could not be formed of strata such as the molasse or the 
flysch. Their form implies a great degree of hardness in the rocks from 
which they are fashioned. In the same manner it may be affirmed that the 
reservoirs in which the greater glaciers are accumulated, and the narrow 
gorges through which they now advance — or did once flow — between faces 
of rock that still bear the traces of their passage, demonstrate a high degree 
of resistance in the materials. 

Inasmuch as the hardness of rocks is often found to be proportioned to their 
antiquity, it was long assumed that the Alps must be, even in a geological 
sense, very ancient. In truth, it is seen that a considerable portion of their 
mass is formed of granite, sienite, and other crystalline rocks older than the 
overlying sedimentary strata. The mineral character of these sedimentary 
rocks, especially in the interior of the chain, led to the belief that these in 
their turn belonged to the older deposits. The limestone is often dark in 
colour, the slates more or less crystalline in texture, and the coal when 
present is converted into anthracite. It is only on the skirts of the chain 
that the rocks assume their ordinary and familiar characters. 

Ebel, and the earlier geologists and geographers, saw in the Alps a series 
of parallel ranges arranged in the order of their height, the loftiest occupy- 
ing the centre of the chain and forming the watershed. The central range 
was, on account of its position, assumed to be the most ancient. There it 
was thought natural to find granite, sienite, and gneiss, while the outer 
ranges were believed to be formed of limestones, sandstones, and other 
sedimentary deposits. The results of modern enquiry have not justified this 
opinion. 

It is true that the highest peaks of the Alps are formed of crystalline 
rocks. Mont Blanc is composed of the protogine form of granite, Monte 
Rosa and the Jungfrau of gneiss and mica schist, the Dent Blanche of talcose 
granite ; but it is an error to suppose that all the crystalline masses are 
connected with lofty peaks, or that none of the higher summits are formed 
of sedimentary rocks. The Eigerand Wetterhorn, which are counted among 
the higher peaks, are formed of secondary limestone, and the same holds good 
of many other prominent mountains. 

To the modern race of Swiss geologists belongs the credit of having 
ascertained the real order of succession of the strata, and the general plan 
of structure which prevails throughout the entire chain. M. Studer, who 
holds a foremost place amongst Alpine geologists, recognises the existence 



GEOLOGY OF THE ALPS. 



lxxyii 



m the Alps of a series of groups, each with its crystalline centre, sometimes 
parallel to each other, sometimes arranged en echelon like the squares of a 
chess board. 

The intervals between the higher crystalline masses had been imperfectly 
studied by the earlier geologists. It is now known that these intermediate 
spaces, which we shall designate by the general term trough (Fr. mait, 
Germ, mulde), are formed of rocks completely different from those constitut- 
ing the crystalline centres. As a general rule, these are stratified rocks of 
softer and less resisting texture. 

To form a correct idea of the relations between the crystalline masses and 
the troughs, the former may be considered as islets arising in the midst of 
a level plain. In the process of upheaval these islets have gradually 
assumed greater prominence, driving back on either side the deposits through 
which they had forced their way, tilting up these overlying strata, and not 
unfrequently completely reversing their original order of position. Thus 
has originated what geologists have called the fan structure, traceable in 
many of the crystalline groups. 

As the dimensions of each separate group are small compared to the 
entire length of the Alpine chain, it follows that the intermediate spaces, or 
troughs, corresponding to the original surface, are more or less connected 
together. It is in these spaces that we find the clue to the geological struc- 
ture of the Alps. The student must bear in mind that the crystalline 
nuclei are intruders on the scene, and that to find the natural order of 
succession of the strata he must study them in the troughs where they have 
undergone least disturbance. 

Different opinions are held in respect to the origin of the crystalline 
centres. The most natural idea was to attribute to them an igneous origin, 
and to suppose that they were upraised in a semi-fluid or plastic con- 
dition. This is still the more general belief, especially in regard to granite. 
On the other hand, it must be remembered that most granites present traces 
of stratification. The groups of the Finsteraarhorn and the St. Gothard 
are mainly composed of stratified granite. Between this granite and gneiss 
the transition is gradual and continuous. Gneiss, as is well known, passes 
insensibly into mica slate and talcose slate ; while these in their turn are 
closely connected with certain sedimentary slates and sandstones. 

The time is not distant when all these rocks were held to be of plutonic 
origin. The study of the phenomena of metamorphism has led geologists 
to restrict very much this sweeping conclusion. One after another, deposits 
once thought undoubtedly igneous have been proved to be altered sedi- 
mentary rocks. Thus the schists of Casanna, in the Grisons, having all the 
external character of mica slate, have been shown by Prof. Theobald to be of 
sedimentary origin. More than this, fossils have been found in some mica 
schists — e. g. those of the Furka, which have yielded belemnites. In the 
presence of such facts, some geologists are tempted to question the igneous 
1 nature of most of the crystalline rocks of the Alps, and to restrict that 
j! character to the porphyries and porphyritic granites of the S. side of the 
chain, including in the series of metamorphic rocks not only the mica schists 
and gneiss, but the semi-stratified granite of the St. Gothard and the so-called 
protogine granite of Mont Blanc. 

Without denying the importance of the facts that have led to this revulsion 



lxxviii 



INTRODUCTION. 



of opinion, we are not prepared to adopt a general conclusion which all but 
completely removes the true igneous rocks from the geological map of the 
Alps. For the present it appears more prudent to adhere to the classification 
adopted by M. Studer, and to reckon among the crystalline rocks the several 
varieties of granite, along with the gneiss, and all those mica schists which 
have not been proved to be sedimentary, either by the presence of fossils, or 
by interstratification with undoubted fossiliferous deposits. 

So far as regards the connexion between the orography of the Alps and 
their geological structure, it is of little importance whether we consider the 
crystalline centres as originating in the eruption of igneous rocks, or in the 
metamorphosis of old sedimentary deposits. The essential fact is, that these 
masses have been brought to the surface by forces acting from beneath, and 
that their passage to the surface has led to the disruption of the overlying 
deposits. 

The upheaval of the crystalline rocks has been achieved by forces that 
have acted with unequal intensity in various parts of the Alpine chain. The 
separate masses are at. once less numerous and less elevated at the two 
extremities of the chain than towards its centre, indicating a less degree of 
energy in the operating forces. The eruptive force, not being there ham- 
pered by the simultaneous action of other similar operations in adjoining 
parts of the chain, has caused less disturbance amongst the overlying strata, 
which have been simply forced aside to yield a passage to the central mass. 
Hence we find, on surveying these outlying groups, that the strata dip out- 
wards with much regularity from the centre, the plan of the stratification 
being antichnal, after the fashion of a house-roof. 

Different conditions have prevailed in the central parts of the Alpine 
chain, and especially in the Swiss, Piedmontese, and French Alps. The 
process of upheaval has there been accomplished by more energetic agencies, 
acting on many neighbouring points. Intense and complicated forces have 
operated on the overlying stratified deposits. They have been set on end, 
shoved aside, and otten completely turned over, by the pressure of the 
intruded mass. 

The crystalline masses, on the other hand, when lifted to a sufficient height, 
and delivered from lateral pressure, have expanded in the direction of 
least resistance, and have thus produced the fan structure so characteristic of 
the central region of the Alps. The gneiss and crystalline slates, forming 
the first envelope of the nucleus, lie in such cases upon its flanks; while the 
granitic masses which, when present, almost always occupy the centre of the 




p Protogine. g Gneiss. s Schist. 



GEOLOGY OF THE ALPS. 



lxxix 



mass, often form vast cirques,* as in the Mont Blanc range, and at the Sept 
Laux (§ 8), or La Berarde (§ 9) in the Dauphine Alps. 

It sometimes happens that two adjoining crystalline masses of unequal 
dimensions approach very near to each other, the one having the fan 
structure, and the other the simple anticlinal disposition of the strata. In 
such cases the resultant arrangement is that indicated in the annexed section, 
taken from Professor Lory. 

When several crystalline nuclei approach near to each other, the result is 
to reduce the troughs within narrow limits, the extension of the crystalline 
rocks having been effected, so to speak, at tne expense of the sedimentary 
strata. This condition is illustrated by the following section of the St. 
Gothard range. 




There is no better position for studying the general plan of the architec- 
ture of the Alps, than in the section exhibited to a traveller following the 
high-road across the pass of the St. Gothard. 

At the summit of the Col he finds the granitic nucleus farming a nearly 
level plateau, on which are several small lakes. This granite shows distinct 
traces of stratification, and in descending from the pass on the N". side the 
dip is to the S., pointing, as it were, to the internal axis of the chain. The 
granite is followed by crystalline slates; but on des*'ending into the broad 
valley of Urseren, extending from Hospenthal to Andermatt, it is seen that 
the rock in situ is a very friable slate, sometimes of very dark colour, pro- 
bably a member of the carboniferous series. This extends to the Furka at 
the head of the Urseren Thai, and the form of the valley, with its uniform 
and somewhat monotonous slopes, is doubtless due to the yielding nature of 
the slate, that has been easily excavated by agencies that have had compara- 
tively little effect on the crystalline rocks. At the Urner Loch — the cleft 
through which the Reuss escapes from the Urseren valley to descend towards 
the Lake of Lucerne — the high-road again enters among the crystalline rocks, 
at first in the form of gneiss or mica slate, but gradually passing into true 
granite. This is an eastern extension of the nucleus of the Finsteraarhorn, 
which reaches to the Clariden Grat, and is then covered over by the sedi- 
mentary rocks of the Todi and the Hiferten Stock. This second crystalline 
mass, here deeply cut through by the Reuss, extends through the narrow 
part of the valley as far as Amsteg. The valley widens out below that 
village as it enters amongst the limestone rocks which form on either side 
the fine peaks of the Windgelle and the Urirothstock. 

Returning to the summit of the pass, we shall now trace the section 
on the side of Italy. A descent not less steep than that of the N. side 
leads over the same granite rocks that form the plateau, but the dip, 

* Semicircular hollows with very steep walls in the form of an amphitheatre. 



lxxx 



INTRODUCTION". 



which on the other slope was towards the S., is now towards the N. At 
the base of the slope, at the village of Airolo, we again find a valley, 
parallel in its direction to that of the granitic nucleus; but the rocks in this 
trough are no longer crystalline in texture. Soft slates, dolomite, and 
gypsum, all represent deposits of rnetamorohic sedimentary rock. The same 
trough extends westward through the Val Bedretto, and eastward to the 
plateau of the Lukmanier. 

Following the Val Leventina to Faido, the road enters upon a third 
crystalline mass — that of Tessin. This is more extensive, but less lofty and 
broken in outline, than those already mentioned. The rock is gneiss, very 
uniform in composition, which extends as far as Bellinzona. Here the mass 
of the Tessin Alps is interrupted by the appearance of a broadband, crossing 
the country in a SW. direction to Biella, and marked by the presence of 
metamorphic rocks, accompanied by others of igneous origin, in which 
hornblende is the prevailing mineral. 

S. of this we enter the crystalline group of the Italian lakes, which extends 
in the form of gneiss to the low ridire of the Monte Cenere, crossed by the 
road from Bellinzona to Lugano. The latter city lies in the midst of the 
exterior covering of sedimentary rocks, which are broken here and there by 
eruptive masses of porphyry. A section traced to the margin of the plain 
of Lombardy exhibits in succession the trias, the lias, some scattered frag- 
ments of the cretaceous series, and, last of all, eocene deposits. 

It will be observed that the arrangement of the rocks traversed on the S. 
side of the central range is in all essentials the same as that of the N. 
side. The only difference is, that the rocks are less extensively disturbed, 
and there are no instances of a reversal of the natural or der of superposition, 
such as may be seen in some places in the valley of the Reuss. 

Throughout the section we find three elements recurring : a crystalline 
nucleus, an interior trough, and an external slope. The section traverses 
four crystalline nuclei, three interior troughs, and a northern and southern 
external slope, characterised respectively by granite or gneiss in the nucleus, 
more or less altered sedimentary rocks in the troughs, and rocks preserving 
their normal aspect and position on the external slopes. 

It will be readily understood that the phenomena are liable to much 
modification, according to the relative position of adjoining centres of 
disturbance, and the intensity of the forces that have acted in each of them. 
Thus, two nuclei maybe so close that the intervening trough is not apparent 
to the eye, although its existence is indicated to the geologist by fragmentary 
masses of metamorphic rock, lifted up to a great height, and sometimes into 
peaks of the first order, as has happened on the N. and \Y. sides of Monte 
Rosa. 

Another irregularity, of which there are several examples in the Cottian 
and Graian Alps, arises where the mass of sedimentary rocks on one side of 
the crystalline nucleus is far greater than that on the opposite side. In 
such cases portions of the sedimentary rock may be carried to a height much 
exceeding that of the nucleus, which remains half buried on the opposite 
slope of the range. 



GEOLOGY OF THE ALPS. 



lxxxi 



Crystalline Rocks of the Alps. 

At first sight nothing appears easier than to distinguish crystalline rocks, 
owing their origin to the partial or complete fusion of the mineral materials 
of the globe, from sedimentary rocks produced by the action of water on pre- 
existing strata. We have already seen, however, that the distinction is in 
practice extremely difficult. Large portions of the rocks constituting the 
Alps have undergone changes that assimilate their external characters with 
those of undoubted igneous rocks so completely, that no positive limit can be 
fixed between them. Admitting the probability that further research will 
reduce to the rank of metamorphic rocks much that has hitherto been believed 
to be of purely igneous origin, we include under the heading crystalline 
rocks all those that have not been proved to be of sedimentary nature. 
These may again be subdivided into two groups: — eruptive rocks, including 
true granite, porphyry, &c. ; and crystalline semistratified rocks, including 
gneiss, mica-schist, &c. For convenience, we may call the two groups after 
their prevailing types, which are respectively granite and gneiss. 

It should be mentioned, at the outset, that these rocks admit of no accurate 
classification. The mineralogist can determine the characters, and the 
chemical composition of the materials that enter into them; but the rocks 
themselves are mixtures, in constantly varying proportions, of these differ- 
ent minerals, in which it constantly happens that one constituent is gradually 
replaced by another without any abrupt transition, 

I. Granite Group. — True granite is a well-known and easily-recognised 
rock. Its essential constituents are quartz, mica, and feldspar. The latter 
usually forms more than half of the entire mass; it is more commonly the 
variety called orthoclase, or potash feldspar, but sometimes oligoclase, or soda 
feldspar : rarely both varieties occur mixed together. Various minerals occur 
disseminated through granite and the allied rocks ; such are garnet, tourma- 
line, magnetic iron, oxide of tin, &c. 

When we exclude protogine, now generally considered as a form of gneiss, 
from the granitic group, the extent of true granite remaining in the Alps is 
comparatively small. The chief masses are as follows: — 1. That of Biella, 
extending AE. towards Varallo, and lying between a zone of syenite and 
another of quartzose porphyry. This granite is composed of both forms of 
feldspar, and of black mica. 2. The granite of Orta, Baveno, and Mont 
Orfano. At Baveno the feldspar (orthoclase) has a fine rose colour, which it 
communicates to the granite, while at Mont Orfano the rock, in other 
respects identical, is pure white. 3. The granites of the Bernina group 
should probably be ranked in this group. 4. To the group of true granites, 
M. Studer is also disposed to refer the hornblendic granites of the 
Adamello and Monte Castello groups. These include much black 
hornblende, with white feldspar and black mica. Some geologists regard 
the crystalline nucleus of the Pelvoux group as formed of true eruptive 
granite, but this opinion does not appear to be well established. Recently, 
the same rock has been said to exist at the E. extremity of the Alpine chain, 
between Windisch Kappel and Windisch Gratz, but the conclusion does not 
seem certain. 

Syenite is a form of granite in which mica is absent, and is replaced either 
by feldspar alone, or, more commonly, by hornblende. The change is often 



lxxxii 



INTRODUCTION. 



so gradual that one rock passes insensibly into the other. Syenite sometimes 
derives a fine rose tint from the contained orthoclase feldspar. Quartz is 
present in small quantity, but is sometimes altogether absent. Among other 
minerals, zircon and sphene are often present. The latter is disseminated 
throughout the only considerable mass of syenite in the Alps — that extend- 
ing from the Val d'Aosta to the sources of the Sesia. 

Porphyry, in its typical condition, is essentially distinct from granite in 
this respect, that it includes fragments of other minerals set in a cement of 
feldspar and quartz, yet they are sometimes seen to be connected by inter- 
mediate varieties. This, as well as the other forms of eruptive rock, is con- 
fined to the south side of the main chain, if we except an insignificant trace 
of its presence in the Windgelle in the Canton of Uri. The attention of 
geologists has been especially called to the porphyritic rocks of the South 
Tyrol by the researches of M. Von Buch, and the once popular theory of 
that eminent geologist, who attributed to the eruption of the porphyries a 
leading part in the upheaval of the entire chain of the Alps. Three varieties 
of porphyry are found in the Alps. 1. Quartzose porphyry, usually of a 
red colour from the decomposition of the contained ferruginous minerals. 
In this variety the silex forms distinct crystalline masses of quartz dissemi- 
nated throughout the rock, and thus sometimes approaches near to the 
structure of true granite. This form of porphyry is developed on a large 
scale in the Italian Tyrol in the valley of the Eisack and the Val di Fiemme. 
It is also seen on the shores of the Lago Maggiore and the Lake of Lugano, 
and near the sources of the Sesia. 2. Black porphyry, or melaphyre, 
differing from the last by the absence of quartz crystals, is associated with 
it in the Italian Tyrol, where it is often accompanied by considerable masses 
of conglomerate, containing fragments of the calcareous rocks through which 
the porphyry was forced in a fluid or semifluid state. 3. Pyroxene porphyry 
(Germ. Augit-Porphyr) is nearly allied to the last. It usually contains 
crystals of labradorite, and green or black pyroxene. It is found in the 
Venetian Alps near Schio and Kecoaro, in a condition nearly allied to 
basalt, and in the Italian Tyrol in the Val di Fassa, the Gadertha), &c. 
In that region there are sometimes seen remarkable transitions between this 
and euphotide, or gabbro, and it seems to pass into syenite and true granite. 

Basalt is seen onlv on the lower slopes of the Venetian Alps, in the range 
N". of Verona and Vicenza. The basaltic tufas with which they are asso- 
ciated are nearly as rich in Eocene fossils as the surrounding nummulitic 
limestone, showing that the upheaval of the basalt was effected without any 
great disturbance of the animal life of the period. 

II. Gneiss Group. — It has long been known that the great masses that 
constitute the crystalline centres of the High Alps are, in great part, formed 
of rocks nearly resembling true granite, yet presenting some differences of 
composition, as well as other distinctive characters. 

Protogine. — This, which forms the crystalline axis of Mont Blanc and 
many of the higher groups of the Alps, contains a variable proportion of talc 
in addition to the ordinary components of granite, and both varieties of 
feldspar are commonly mixed together, which rarely occurs in true granite. 
Some imperfect traces of bedding are often traceable, but there is no sign of 
stratification apparent in the texture of the rock. The name arose when it 
was supposed that the rock which formed the central mass of Mount Blanc 
and other high mountains must necessarily be the oldest, Though the 



GEOLOGY OF THE ALPS. 



lxxxiii 



views of geologists are now much altered, it seems more convenient to keep 
to the old name, than to substitute that of 'Alpine granite,' proposed by 
some Swiss geologists. 

Gneiss has absolutely the same composition as protogine, but differs con- 
siderably in its structure. This bears distinct, traces of lamination; it is 
traversed by veins having a constant direction, in which also the rock is 
readily split into flags or thinner flakes. It was seen in the above descrip- 
tion of the principal mountain groups in the Alps, that this is by far the 
most widely spread of all the crystalline rocks. It forms nearly the entire 
mass of several lar^e groups, and where protogine forms the nucleus, there 
is generally an outer covering of gneiss, the two rocks passing one into the 
other by insensible gradations. 

Mica-schist differs little in composition from the two preceding rocks, but 
the proportion of feldspar is usually much smaller. Sometimes quartz and 
sometimes mica are the prevailing constituents, and the rock is compact or 
schistose in texture, as the first or the second predominate. In mountains 
whereof gneiss is the chief component, this often passes into mica-schist 
towards the outer and upper portions of the mass. 

A gradual passage is also found between mica-schist and certain rocks 
that appear undoubtedly sedimentary, though no sufficient means exist for 
determining their geological age. Such are certain argillaceous schists, and 
the green and grey slates of the Swiss geologists. 

The calcareous mica-schist (Germ. Blauschiefer), first remarked by Saus- 
sure, and which is abundant at the M«»nt Cenis, and is also found in the 
Salzburg Alps, is apparently a metamorphic rock, and to the same category 
must be referred the Roche de Corne, or 4 paJceopetre ' of Saussure, which 
sometimes assumes the appearance of mica-schist, and elsewhere appears to 
be closely connected with the anthraciferous palaeozoic schists. 

Arkesine, or talcose granite, is a rock of some importance, from its pre- 
valence among the erratic blocks of the basin of the Rhone. It is often 
veined like gneiss, and differs from it chiefly by the substitution of talc for 
mica. This rock prevails in the central part of the Pennine Alps, and, 
according to M Gerloch, the Dent Blanche is entirely composed of it. The 
famous erratic block of Steinhof in Soleure is arkesine. With reference to 
the origin of that and other blocks, it is very desirable that the limits of this 
rock in the Irgher part of the Pennine chain should be more fully traced. 

Chlorite -schist differs from mica-schist merely by the presence of chlorite, 
usually of dark green colour, in place of mica, but it passes into mica-schist 
and sometimes also into talcose schist. This rock is seen in several of the 
higher peaks of the Alps, e. g. Monte Visa, Monte Rosa, and the Gross 
Glockner. 

Talcose schist bears the same relation to arkesine that mica-schist does 
to protogine. It consists almost exclusively of quartz and talc, and is 
usually of a light green or grey colour. It is chiefly found in Tessin and 
the Yalais. 

Hornblende schist contains hornblende, mixed in variable proportions with 
quartz and feldspar. Sometimes this rock is closely connected with un- 
doubted igneous rocks, while it often appears no less intimately connected 
with metamorphic rocks, such as the dolomite of Avrolo and the marbles 
of Ornavasso. M. Studer has judiciously remarked, that it is not necessary 

e 2 



lxxxiv 



INTRODUCTION. 



to assume that identity of mineral composition, in this case, implies identity 
of origin. 

Diorite or Greenstone is a more compact form of the last-mentioned rock, 
of finer grain, and with little quartz. It occurs on the S. side of the Alps. 

Serpentine is a well-known rock, consisting, when pure, of silicate of mag- 
nesia combined with hydrate of the same base. It generally contains a 
considerable proportion of iron, to which its varied tints are partly due, 
along with other minerals, such as asbestos, chlorite, &c. Serpentine plays 
an important part in the Alpine chain, being present at very many points, 
though usually in comparatively small masses. A large field for investiga- 
tion remains open in regard to the origin of this rock, and its relations to 
the adjoining strata. It is well known that in the Apennines it presents all 
the appearances of an eruptive rock, having pierced through the overlying 
Eocene deposits, which are often converted into jasper near the point of 
contact. Similar relations seem to exist between the serpentine and the 
neighbouring rocks in the Cottian Alps, and elsewhere. In other districts, as 
on the side of St. Gotthard, and in the vicinity of Monte Rosa, a 
serpentine, not distinguishable from the other in mineral character, appears 
to be itself a metamorphic rock, so difficult is it to trace a limit between it 
and the metamorphic green and grey slates. 

Euphotide, or gabbro, is a rock allied to serpentine, characterised by the 
presence of diallage, or smaragdite, associated with other minerals. A very 
beautiful variety forms a portion of the Saas Grat, and is brought down to 
the valley of Saas by the Allalein Glacier. 

The period of formation of the crystalline rocks cannot be determined 
by the same reasoning which guides us in the study of the sedimentary 
rocks. In the absence of the internal evidence supplied by fossil remains, 
we can argue only from the apparent relations between these and the 
fossiliferous rocks. 

Those who regard the rocks which we have described under the generic 
name of Gneiss Group as altogether metamorphic, cannot doubt that they 
represent in an altered form the most ancient portion of the earth's crust, 
and may look upon the protogine as the remains of the original crust formed 
by the cooling of the surface of our planet. 

Other geologists, who consider these rocks to be essentially of eruptive 
character, must nevertheless carry back the date of their first appearance 
to a very early period, anterior, in all probability, to the epoch of the Trias. 
The eruption of the true granite and its allies seems to have occurred at a 
somewhat later period. It is apparently contemporary with the red por- 
phyry, which, as has been shown, was upraised about the close of the 
Triassic Period. 

The serpentine, or at least that portion of it which is certainly eruptive, 
was long posterior in its appearance to the preceding rocks. M. de Sismonda 
believes the serpentine of Piedmont to have been ejected at the same time 
as that of the Apennines, i.e., about the close of the Eocene Period, or the 
commencement of the Miocene. As already mentioned, the origin of the 
serpentine in other parts of the Alps is still involved in doubt, and calls 
for further enquiry. The small patches of basalt seen in the Venetian 
Alps were certainly protruded during the Eocene Period. 



GEOLOGY OF THE ALPS. 



LxXXY 



DIVISION OF THE ALPS INTO GEOLOGICAL GROUPS. 

We now proceed to enumerate the groups into which the Alps have been 
divided by geologists, denning the term group as a mountain mass charac- 
terised by a crystalline centre, and an outer coating of sedimentary rocks. 

I. Liguriais Group. 
Though not usually counted as a portion of the Alpine chain, it is impos- 
sible to omit this group, which, on a small scale, exhibits all the essential 
characteristics of the arrangement already described. This forms the E. 
extremity of the curve enclosing the plain of Piedmont on the S., as the 
Pennine Alps do towards the N. Orographieally, it serves as the link 
between the Alps and the Apennines, being connected by a continuous ridge 
with both those chains. Geologically, however, it is perfectly well defined, 
as the crystalline centre, formed of gneiss and mica schist, lying at the head 
of the valleys of the Tanaro and the Bormida, which is surrounded on all sides 
by a girdle of calcareous rocks. The dip of the strata is in all directions 
regularly anticlinal. The highest summit — Monte Mondole — is 8,005 ft. 
in height. 

II. Maritime Alps Group. 

This group is well defined to the 1ST. by the Valley of the Stura, and to 
the E. and W. by the Col di Tenda and the Col d'Argentiere. To the S. 
its outer coating of calcareous rocks falls towards the Mediterranean between 
the valleys of the Roja and the Tinea. Its highest summit is the Cima dei 
Gelas (10,433 / ft.), but several other peaks towards the centre of the group 
attain to 10,000 ft. The Col delle Cerese and Col delle Finestre, described 
in § 1, as well as other passes lying farther W., traverse the crystalline centre 
of the group. At the summit of each of these passes is found protogine 
granite, flanked on either side by considerable masses of gneiss, wherein the 
fan structure is distinctly perceived. The general direction of the crystal- 
line axes is from NYV. to SE., but the strike of the stratification is N. and 
S. in the centre of the group, and beyond it NNW. to SSE. 

III. Cottian Alps Group. 

Geographers are not agreed as to the limits of the Cottian Alps, and the 
geologist cannot aid in fixing them with any accuracy. The crystalline 
nucleus of this group is neither so considerable nor so continuous as in the 
others here enumerated. Instead of forming a well-defined mass, it may be 
more accurately described as a series of scattered fragments, evidently con- 
nected together, forming a curved zone, whose limits are approximately the 
course of the Maira to the S., and that of the Dora Riparia to the N., and 
whose centre lies in the Vaudois valleys of the Pellice and the Chisone. 
There is here no trace of the fan structure. Granite is wanting, audits 
place is supplied by gneiss and mica schist, which for the most part do not 
rise to the highest peaks, but on the E. side extend to the margin of the 
plain of Piedmont. If there be any remains of a zone of metamorphic rocks 
on that side of the chain it must be confined within narrow limits. 

An opposite condition prevails on the W. side, where metamorphic roclcs 
far surpass in extent the crystalline nucleus, and rise to a much higher 



lxxxvi 



INTRODUCTION. 



level, forming a continuous range from the Dora to Monte Viso. This 
unusual arrangement is accompanied by another singular phenomenon, which 
one day may serve to explain the peculiarities of this group. Along the 
crest of the range masses of serpentine, which appear to have been protruded 
through the surrounding metamorphic rocks, recur at intervals, extending 
beyond the Dora Riparia nearly to Turin, and forming in part the peak of 
the Roche Melon as well as several other conspicuous summits. It appears 
probable that the upheaval of the chain is connected with the protrusion of 
these masses of serpentine. The highest summit of this group, the Monte 
Viso, is composed partly of serpentine and partly of talcose slate and gneiss. 

A branch of the principal range, characterised also by the presence of 
serpentine, stretches SW. from Monte Viso, and extends to the Mont Enchas- 
traye at the W. end of the range of the Maritime Alps. This part of the 
chain includes several lofty summits, of which the best known is the Grand 
Rioburent. 

IV. Graian Alps Group. 

Some geographers include in the Graian Alps all the ranges lying between 
the Dora Riparia and the Dora Baltea, while others fix the S. limit at the 
valley of Viu, referring the ran<re between the Mont Tabor and the Roche 
Melon to the Cottian group. Neither of these boundaries agrees with the 
geological limits of the group. The crystalline nucleus makes its first 
appearance in the Val Grande (§ 13), and disappears towards the N., beneath 
the overlying metamorphic rocks, long before it reaches the Dora Baltea. 
To the W. it extends to the Levanna, forming but a narrow band, while to 
the NE. it widens out and gradually sinks nearly to the level of the plain, 
from which it is but partially separated by a narrow band of sedimentary 
rocks. Towards the centre of the group, in the Valley of the Oreo, protogine 
granite is present, but it does not occupy much space, nor does it rise into 
the highest peaks, which are composed of crystalline schists. Though this is 
evidently connected with the Cottian group, the direction of the crystalline 
axis is here directed from SW. to NE., while in the former it is nearly due 
N. and S. Metamorphic secondary rocks appear to have been carried to a 
great height on the N. side of the central axis, and the streams that descend 
through the valleys of Savaranche, Rhemes, and Grisanche traverse highly 
altered rocks, referred by M. Sismonda to the jurassic formation, but not 
yet completely determined. Gneiss is seen here and there in these valleys, 
underlying the sedimentary rock. 

The broad zone or trough between this group and that of the Belledonne 
(VII.) is not, perhaps, quite continuous. Two small patches of cr) stalline 
rock have been observed in the Tarentaise Alps ; one of them in the valley 
of the Leisse, N. of Termignon, the other near the source of the Doron, on 
the N. side of the Col de Chaviere. This appears to indicate the rudiments 
of a nucleus which may possibly be connected with the upheaval of the fine 
peaks of the Grande Casse and the Mont Pourri. In the absence of further 
information, we merely indicate the probable existence of a Vanoise or 
Tarentaise group, in a position intermediate between the Graian and the 
Belledonne groups. 

V. Pelvoux Group. 
This rugged mass is one of those that exhibit most distinctly the general 
plan of Alpine architecture explained in the preceding pages. A central 



GEOLOGY OF THE ALPS. 



lxxxvii 



mass of granite, passing towards its circumference into gneiss, is surrounded 
by more or less altered sedimentary rocks. The fan structure is traceable 
throughout the entire croup. For orographic details, see the introduction 
to § 9. 

VI. Grandes Rousses Group. 
This comparatively small group is interposed between the last and the 
succeeding group. It includes a steep and narrow ridge, chiefly composed of 
gneiss, with one or more parallel bands of the same rock, separated by frag- 
ments of the extensive zone of liassic schists which prevails on the skirts of 
this and the preceding group. The dip both of the gneiss and the overlying 
sedimentary rocks is eastward, or in the opposite direction to that prevailing 
in the next group— a circumstance which, along with others, points to a close 
connection between them. In the valley of the Olle, which separates the 
two groups, the lias overlies the gneiss in unconformable stratification, 
indicating the occurrence of an interval between the first upheaval of the 
gneiss and the deposition of the lias. 

VII. Belledonne Group. 
We include under this name a very considerable group-, extending NNE. 
from the Tailiefer,near Bourg d'Oisans, to the mountains of Beaufort. It is 
narrower and less lofty than those hitherto-described — its highest peak (§ 10) 
being but 9,780 ft. in height — but of comparatively great length. The mass 
is cut through by three deep clefts, which respectively give passage to the 
Romanche, the Arc, and the Isere, and to three important lines of road. 
The direction of the crystalline axis from near the Col du Bonhomme to the 
Romanche is NE. to SW., but W, of the Romanche the axis runs from N 
to S. The main range is formed of gneiss, and in the higher part of the 
group protogine granite appears, and the fan structure is traceable in many 
places — e.g. in the mass of the Grand Charnier (§ 8). M. Lory has pointed 
out the existence of a secondary crystalline axis on the W. side of the 
principal range, formed of talcose slate, with the dip nearly vertical on its 
llanks, and diminishing gradually towards the summit so as to resemble the 
form of a gothic arch somewhat flattened at the top. Some geologists have 
included this group, along with the two following, under the name Western 
Alps, and there is no doubt that they are intimately connected together. 
It is natural to| conceive that the crystalline axis of this group extends 
beneath the jurassic rocks of the Col du Bonhomme, so as to form with 
the following but a single ridg.e. 

VIII. Mo«® Blanc Group. 
None of the groups here described exhibit more perfectly than this does 
the normal type of structure. The vast mass crowned by the monarch of 
the Alps is at once apprehended as a homogeneous mass, unbroken by any 
considerable cleft or depression. The geological limits are well-defined, 
and agree pretty nearly with the external characters. Thus the valleys of 
Chamouni and Trient, and that of Montjoie, the Col du Bonhomme, the 
Lex Blanche (or Allee Blanche), and the Val Ferrex, constitute a geological 
as well as an orographic boundary to the group. Only at the NE. end of 
the range the crystalline axis extends across the Dranse, and even to the rt. 



lxxxviii 



INTRODUCTION. 



bank of the Rhone, where it disappears beneath the limestone and black 
schists of the Valais. 

The fan structure is perfectly developed here, and did not escape the 
observation of Saussure. On the rt. bank of the Glacier des Bois, at the 
Col de Balme, and elsewhere, the gneiss is seen to dip at an angle of about 
30° towards the centre of the range. On the opposite side, in the Yal 
Ferrex, the angle of dip is about the same, but its direction is reversed. 

The rock which prevails throughout the group is a protogine granite, 
composed of quartz, orthoclase, oligoclase, mica, and talc. Of this the central 
part of the chain is exclusively constituted. On both Hanks are found 
gneiss and crystalline slates. 

The peculiar arrangement of the peaks, or aiguilles, which is described in 
the introduction to § 16, has given rise to speculations among geologists 
which have not led to any positive conclusion. 

IX. Aiguilles Rouges Group. 

This small mass, which some writers regard as an appendage of the 
parallel range of Mont Blanc, is separated from it by a well-defined trough, 
marked by the valley of Chamouni, the Col de Balme, and the valley of the 
Trient. The nucleus of the group is confined to the comparatively unim- 
portant range of the Brevent and the Aiguilles Rouges. The higher 
parallel range to the XW., extending from the Rochers des Fys to theBuet, 
and thence to the Dent du Midi, forms a portion of the coating of secondary 
rocks that lie upon the outer flanks of the range.; and it is worthy of note 
that fragments of the same fos.-iliferous rocks are found on or near to some 
of the highest of the crystalline summits of the Aiguilles Rouges. At the 
NE. extremity the axis extends across the Rhone, and is seen to underlie 
the calcareous rocks of the Dent de Morcles. 

The crystalline nucleus is composed of protogine similar to that of Mont 
Blanc. There is no appearance of the fan structure. 

X. Valals Group. 

This group includes some of the least accessible portions of the Alpine 
chain, and geologists have derived their knowledge of the peaks and ridges 
chiefly from the moraines of the glaciers that descend into the valleys of 
Barnes, Herens, Heremence, and Anniviers. We include herein the entire 
mass lying between the pass of the Great St. Bernard and the Nicolai Thai 
leading from Zermatt to Visp, being that included in sections 18 and 19 of 
the present work. On three sides the limits are pretty well fixed by the 
Rhone, the valley of the Dranse, the St. Bernard Pass, and the Val 
Peliina. On the E. side the limit is less well-defined, but the presence of 
sedimentary rocks on the 1. bank of the Visp seems to show that that valley 
may properly be considered as a trough separating this from the following 
group. M. Studer, however, has not adopted the division, and he makes 
the Yalais group extend to the Albrun and the Bortelhorn. 

The crystalline rocks forming the central portion of this group are but 
imperfectly known, but it may be hoped that the successful attempts made 
to penetrate its recesses will lead to more accurate knowledge. A peculiar 
green variety of protogine, called arkesine, which has supplied a large 
portion of the erratic blocks of the valley of the Rhone, appears to be 



GEOLOGY OF THE ALPS. 



lxxxix 



derived mainly from the neighbourhood of the Dent Blanche and the Mont 
Collon. Syenite is found in the Yal Pellina. 

The S. dip of the strata, near Chermontane at the head of the Yal de 
Barnes, and the N. dip in the Yal Pellina, on the opposite side of the main 
range, are indications that the fan structure is not wanting here. 

XI. Simplon Group. 

As mentioned above, M. Studer has included this as a portion of the pre- 
ceding group. We are led to separate them not only by the presence of a 
calcareous band extending along the 1. bank of the Yisp from Zmutt to 
opposite Randa, but because many facts point to the conclusion that the 
materials of the Saas Great and the Mischabelhorner, though crystalline in 
appearance, are in truth highly metamorphic sedimentary rocks. 

The undoubted crystalline nucleus of this group commences on the E. 
side of the valley of Saas in the range of the Fletschhorn and the Weissmies 
(§ 21), and extends beyond the pass of the Simplon to the Monte Leone, 
the Bortelhorn, and the Albrun. Arkesine prevails at the W. end, gra- 
nite at the E. end of the range. The fan structure is traceable in the 
valley of Saas and along the pass of the Simplon. 

XII. Tessin Group. 

This group contains the most extensive mass of crystalline rock existing 
in the Central Alps. It is marked by the absence of those tokens of violent 
action that lend interest to the higher masses of the Alps. Here the 
crystalline mass is remarkably continuous and compact, and the ridges 
attain a tolerably uniform average level, unbroken by conspicuous peaks. 
The limits are not well fixed, but may be very roughly indicated by the 
course of the Tessin, from the Nufenen Pass to Bellinzona, on the ~N. and 
E., and by the Tosa to the W. Towards the SW. there is no definite limit 
between this group and that of Monte Rosa, so that M. Studer has united 
them together. There is reason to think that a boundary may be found in 
the Yal Anzasca, and we retain them provisionally as distinct groups. To 
the S. a zone of hornblende rocks, associated with schists and dolomite, 
marks the separation between this and the group of the Italian lakes. 

The prevailing rocks are gneiss and mica schist; the latter forming the 
higher ridges, while gneiss occupies the lower parts of the valleys. The 
latter is remarkable for the readiness with which it splits into slabs, and this 
quality has been turned to account, and gives rise to a trade in flags and 
stone pillars that are produced on a large scale in the Yal Maggia, Yal 
Antigorio, and Yal Leventina. 

The fan structure is not found here, but it is worthy of remark that the 
stratification, which is vertical at the lower end of the valleys and irregular 
in the intermediate zone, becomes nearly horizontal towards the centre. The 
strike does not follow the general direction of the mass, but approaches to 
^.andS. 

XIII. FlNSTERAARHORN GROUP. 

This includes the well-known peaks of the Bernese Oberland. The 
highest summits, such as the Aletschhorn, Jungfrau, Monch, and Schreck- 
horn, as well as the Finsteraarhorn itself, lie within the crystalline nucleus, 
being formed partly of gneiss and mica schist, and partly of a semi-stratified 



xc 



INTRODUCTION. 



granite which sometimes exhibits a very perfect crystalline structure. The 
axis extends from the Lotschen Thai, where it disappears under the calca- 
reous rocks of the Gemini range, to the head of the Valley of the Linth, 
where it has raised to a great height the jurassic rocks that make up the 
larger portion of the Todi and the Clariden Grat. It is deeply cut through 
by the valley of the Reuss. Nearly at its centre the group is traversed 
by a zone of hornblende rocks, which, possibly, indicate the existence of a 
primitive trough between two nearly adjoining crystalline centres. The fan 
structure is distinctly seen on both slopes of the range. 

XIV. St. Gotthaed Group. 

This comparatively small mass bears somewhat the same relation to that 
last described, that the Aiguilles Rouges do to the Mont Blanc group. They 
are separated only by the narrow trough of the Urseren Thai andtheFurka 
Pass. The St. Gotthard group extends eastward on the S. side of the Vorder 
Rhein, and attains its highest elevation in the Medelshorner (10,500'), 
between the valleys of Medels and Sumvix. 

The granite of the St. Gotthard is well known for its large crystals of 
feldspar, and for the rare minerals which it contains. It is confined, however, 
to the centre of the range, passing on either side into gneiss, which, in its 
turn, shows a gradual transition to mica-schist abundantly charged with 
garnet crystals. The fan structure is very evident throughout the group. 

Among the minerals which are found in the granite are several containing 
oxide of titanium — e.g., rutile, anatase, and brookite —besides which are 
hematite, fluor spar, apatite, axinite, tourmaline, and remarkably fine quartz 
crystals. 

XY. Monte Rosa Group. 

Though comparatively limited in extent, this group has naturally attracted 
much attention by its height, by the grand forms of its peaks, and by the 
extensive glaciers which it feeds. Its limits to the SYV. are marked by a 
zone of metamorphic rocks extending from Aosta. A similar zone, though 
of small dimensions, including various metamorphic schists, and dolomitic 
limestones, serves to separate this from the Yalais and Simplon groups. In 
some of the highest peaks, such as the Matterhorn and the Strahlhorn, these 
metamorphic rocks have been carried to a very great height. E.of the great 
cirque of Macugnaga the crystalline axis extends through a portion of the 
Yal Anzasca between two converging masses of hornblende rock, and 
seemingly disappears near to Sta. Maria Maggiore. As already mentioned, 
some geologists regard the Tessin Alps as an easterly extension of this 
group. In support of that opinion, it may be urged that the rocks are nearly 
identical in character. Granite is here very rare, and mica-schist forms the 
higher part of the mass, extending to the very summit of Monte Rosa. The 
tan structure is not traceable here. 

At the head of the al Sesia, on the SSE. side of Monte Rosa, a small 
mass of gneiss rises in the midst of the surrounding hornblende schists. 
Though of small extent, this, perhaps, deserves to be distinguished under the 
title 1 Val Sesia Group] and is certainly interesting from its position, which 
makes it in some sort a link between the Graian and the Monte Rosa groups. 
>I. Sismonda, indeed, believes it to be continuous with the band of gneiss 



GEOLOGY OF THE ALPS. 



xci 



which is crossed near Donnaz in the Yal d'Aosta, and is universally regarded 
as an eastern extension of the axis of the Graian range. 

XYI. Adula Group. 
From the Col di Nara, E. of Faido, a rugged and rarely-trodden mass of 
mountains is seen to the eastward. The summits are covered with snow, 
and glaciers hang on their upper declivities, but are not fed by reservoirs 
sufficiently extensive to urge them downward into the valleys. These peaks 
belong to the Adula group, whose highest point — Piz Yalrhein (11,153') — is 
rivalled by several of its neighbours. A zone of metamorphic rocks, 
extending northward from the Yal Blegno across the Luckmanier Pass, 
limits the group on the W. side. To the E. it is equally well separated from 
the next by the metamorphic schists of the Yal Misocco, traversed by the 
road of the Bernardino. The strike of the strata and the direction of the 
principal valleys is here nearly meridional, or transverse to the general 
bearing of the Lepontine Alps. 

XYII. Sureta Group. 
This not very important group is traversed by the Yalle di San Giacomo, 
through which the road descends to Chiavenna from the Splugen Pass. On 
the W. side of that valley gneiss shows itself on the S. declivity of the chain, 
and rises into the peak of the Tambohorn (10,750'). On the E. side of the pass 
the gneiss assumes a peculiar porphyroid character, and is known by the 
name Kofla granite. It extends into the upper valley of the Rhine as far as 
the gorge below Andeer. To the E. the limit of the group is formed by the 
schists of the Oberhalbstein Yalley. The stratification here runs E. and W., 
which is the prevailing direction in the Central and Eastern Alps. 

XYI II. Group of the Italian Lakes. 
This is a very peculiar group, and well deserves study for its bearing on 
the general theory of the elevation of the Alps. It is a long and comparatively 
very narrowband of gneiss and mica-schist, extending in a curved line from the 
Lago Maggiore to the upper valley of the Adda, seeming to serve as a barrier 
between the outer zone of sedimentary rocks on the S. slope of the Alps 
and the higher interior groups. This long ridge is cut across by three deep 
vallevs, occupied by as many lakes— Or ta, Maggiore, Lugano, and Como. 
The E. limit is not well fixed, but is apparently to be sought in the upper 
end of the Yal Camonica. The summits bordering on the lake district 
nowhere attain a great height, the loftiest summit being the Monte Legnone 
(8,562'), near the head of the Lake of Como. At the E. end of the range 
the Monte Redorta, perhaps not the highest, attains 9,922 ft. The strike of 
the strata is generally parallel to the direction of the crystalline axis. 

XIX. Bernina Group. 
In this group we include the highest summits of the Eastern Alps, whose 
importance was long underrated, but which, of late, have much attracted 
the attention of travellers and men of science. The central mass, or Bernina 
proper, includes two peaks, the Piz Bernina and Piz Zupo, exceeding 13,000 ft., 
and several others surpassing 12,000 ft. On either side of this are several 
minor mountain masses rarely visited and little known, whose relation to the 
central group has been but very lately ascertained. In common with M. 



xcii 



INTRODUCTION. 



Studer, the writer of this sketch* regarded the assemblage of crystalline 
masses that surround the sources of the Inn as forming a single homogeneous 
mass, in which gneiss played the principal part, and wherein granite appeared 
merely in scattered islets surrounding the true centre of the group. 

The recent researches of Prof. Theobald have completely changed this 
opinion. He has shown that under the name of this single group there exist 
at least sevenf subordinate groups, each complete in itself, and differing from 
those hitherto enumerated in no respect save that most of them are of very 
small dimensions. He distinguishes them as follows : — 

1. The Bernina proper, limited to E. and W. by the Bernina Pass and the 
Muretto Pass respectively. The higher peaks are composed of granite, 
syenite, or a syenitic greenstone. 

2. The Albigna Group, lying between the head of the Yal Masino and the 
Val Bregaglia. The Piz Zocca is 11,221 ft. in height, and several other 
neighbouring granitic peaks approach it very nearly. This borders on a 
little-known ran^e whose highest summit is the Monte delle Disgrazie, in 
which serpentine seems to be the prevailing rock. 

3. The Julier, or Gravasalvas Group, lying between the Julier and 
Septimer passes and the head of the Engadine, of small extent, but very 
interesting on account of its peculiar mineral structure. 

4. The Piz Ot Group, a small mass on the L side of the Engadine, N. of 
Samaden. The Piz Ot is 10,663 ft. in height. 

5. The Piz Err Group, NE. of the last, and more distant from the Ber- 
nina, separated from it by a band of sedimentary rocks. A number of high 
points are gathered round the Piz Err (11,140'). 

6. The Languard Group. This includes a small mass of crystalline rocks, 
whose centre is the Piz Languard, now very often visited for the sake of its 
fine panoramic view. This group is limited to the E. and S. by the Val 
Chiamuera and the Yal Livigno. Gneiss is here the prevailing rock, but 
towards the summit it passes into granite. 

7. The Poschiavo Group. This probably includes the whole mountain 
mass lying between the Yal Yiola and the Yal Tellina. It is mainly com- 
posed of gneiss, but granite appears near Brusio, on the road of the 
Bernina, a little X. of Tirano. 

It should be remarked that none of the subordinate groups above enume- 
rated exhibit any trace of the fan structure, possibly owing to their small 
extent. 

It is premature to speculate on the causes which have broken up this 
region, where crystalline rocks are displayed on so extensive a scale, into a 
number of small separate centres ; but it is important to observe that, looking 
at each of these in succession, we find no deviation from the normal type of 
Alpine structure. 

XX. Adamello Group. 
Between the head of the Yal Camonica and the Yal Kendena, in the 
Italian Tyrol, rises a lofty range, covered with neve and glacier, with 
numerous summits that rise but little above the general level. The highest 
of these, which gives its name to the group, is the Monte Adamello 

* Bulletin de la Soc des Sc. de Neuchatel, tome vi. p. 162. 

t The range of the Monte delle Disgrazie probably forms an eighth group.— [Ed.] 



GEOLOGY OF THE ALPS. 



xciii 



(11,669'). This group is mainly composed of a well-marked variety of 
granite, containing hornblende,* which is encompassed by a zone of crystal- 
line schists. 

The relations of this granite nucleus with the surrounding groups, and 
the above-mentioned crystalline schists, are as yet insufficiently known, and 
well deserve further study. 

XXI. Monte Castello Group. 
S. of the Adamello, and separated from it by the head of the valley of the 
Chiese, is a less considerable and less lofty mass, whose highest summit is, 
apparently, the Monte Castello. It is most imperfectly known, and does 
not appear to have been visited by any geologist excepting M. Escher. 
Approaching it from the Val Saviore, a tributary of the Val Camonica, he 
found a granite somewhat similar to that of the Adamello, but containing 
less amphibolite, extending on the N. side as far as the Lake of Arno. In 
the same neighbourhood occur traces of porphyry. The district awaits 
further examination by a competent geologist. 

XXII. The (Ertxer Group. 

The head of the Val Camonica and the pass of the Tonale may be taken 
as the X. limit of the Adamello group. Beyond this boundary is a con- 
siderable mass of crystalline rocks, which have uplifted the overlying 
sedimentary strata, so that there is reason to believe that the latter constitute 
many of the highest peaks, including the GErtler Spitze (12,832 / ) itself. 
The range SE. of the GErtler Spitze, including a number of high peaks, has 
been very imperfectly examined. The E. boundary of this group is marked 
by the zone of secondary rocks of the Valley of the Adige, and to the X. it 
encounters the carboniferous and triassic rocks that, at this part of the 
frontier, form a natural division between the Swiss and German Alps. 

Prof. Theobald has called attention to a small mass lying between the 
Munster Thai and the Stelvio road, having, as it appears, a distinct 
crystalline nucleus of gneiss, passing towards the centre into granite, and 
surrounded on all sides by sedimentary rocks. 

Provisionally this may be united with the CErtler group, of which it 
appears to be a lateral appendage. 

XXIII. The Selvretta Group. 
A geologist approaching the Alps by the Valley of the Rhine, is surprised 
to find that he may penetrate a considerable distance into the mountains 
without leaving the tertiary and newer secondary formations. A great 
inlet, mainly formed of flysch, separates the Alps of N. Switzerland from 
the Rhaetian Alps. The secondary rocks extend still farther in the same 
direction. One branch penetrates nearly to the sources of the Oberhalbstein 
Rhine ; another, lying farther E., traverses the Inn and approaches the 
Adige, being raised to a great height on the flanks of the CErtler group, 
last described. The first "mass of crystalline rocks on the N. side of the 
main chain is the Selvretta group, on the frontier of Switzerland and the 
Voraiberg, forming a well-defined mass, whose highest summit is the Piz 

* The same granite extends through th range N. of the Val di Genova, culminating in the 
fine peak of the Presenella (11,(382'). — [Ed.]^ 



xciv 



INTRODUCTION. 



Linard (11,208'). Gneiss, sometimes passing into hornblende schist., forms 
most of the higher summits; but granite is present in the geological axis of 
the range. The fan structure is well developed. 

XXIV. Oetzthal Group. 

Whether considered in respect to the scale on which the crystalline rocks 
are developed, or for the extent and height of the mountain mass which it 
includes, this is one of the most important groups in the Alps. Its limits 
are approximately defined by the Inn, the road of the Brenner, and the 
Adige ; although some outlying fragments of crystalline rock cross to the 
rt. bank of the latter river. 

The nucleus here consists of gneiss and mica-schist ; the latter forming the 
crests, the former the outer and lower portions of the range. It is nearly 
cut in two by a zone of hornblendic rocks that extend to the Rofenthal. S. 
of that limit the direction of the axis is about due E. and W., while to the 
"N. a second axis, making an acute angle with the last, runs from SW. to 
NE., both apparently meeting in the peak of the Weiss Kugel (12,6200. 
Each of the two axes above described is characterised by a corresponding 
development of the fan structure. 

XXV. Fassa. Group. 
Though not very extensive nor very lofty, this is a very interesting 
group, and one which has occupied much space in the progress of geological 
speculation. The characteristic rock is no longer granite or gneiss, but 
red porphyry, associated with another variety of the same rock, called 
melaphyre, varying, however, in its mineral constituents, and sometimes 
passing into gabbro, syenite, and even into granite. Without ascribing 
to this rock the importance given to it by M. Von Buch, it seems 
impossible to doubt that it has exercised considerable metamorphic action 
on the adjoining sedimentary rocks, and more especially upon the muschelkalk. 
The igneous nucleus of this group is irregularly developed, having broken 
at intervals through the overlying secondary rocks, wherein dolomite plays 
the most conspicuous part. The prodigious scale on which it is here de- 
veloped, rising to 11.466 * ft. in the peak of the Marmolata, and the extreme 
boldness of form which it habitually affects, have given just celebrity to the 
scenery of the Val di Fassa, which is the natural centre of the group. To 
the N. the igneous rocks extend beyond the Eisack, and in the opposite 
direction to the head of the Val Sugana. 

XXVI. Tauern Group. 
The valley of the Adige is in many respects the most important in the 
whole chain of the Alps. It is that which cuts most deeply into the ran^e, 
and by both its main branches leads to the lowest passes between Italy and 
the X. of Europe. The Eisack branch, terminating in the Brenner Pass, is 
that which has most significance for the geologist. It appears to occupy a 
primitive depression, wherein the sedimentary strata have remained com- 
paratively little disturbed, while the regions on either side alternately 
suffered extensive displacement. It is this trough which separates the 

* This is the result of the as yet unpublished Austrian survey as communicated to Herr Grob- 
mnnn, of the Austrian Alpen Verein by H. PI. Bauer and Hoffmann, and is therefore official 
(F.F. Tuckett). The highest peak is 11,055*6 and the second more eastern one, 10,667'6 Vienna ft. 



GEOLOGY OF THE ALPS. 



XCV 



Oetztbal Group from the long range that for want of a suitable geographical 
name has been called the Tauern Group. This consists mainly of gneiss 
and mica-schist, but the recent researches of Austrian geologists have shown 
that bands of sedimentary rock traverse the crystalline masses in various 
directions, breaking the mass into a number of subordinate groups, and, 
in addition to this, have thrown some doubt upon the possibility of maintain- 
ing the distinction between the mica-schists and some grey palaeozoic schists 
of undoubted sedimentary origin. It has long been known that the highest 
summit of this group and of the German Alps — the Gross Glockner (12,958') 
— is composed of sedimentary rock, and the group as here denned, com- 
mencing on the W. with the peaks at the head of the Ziller thai, terminates 
at the Gross Glockner, and the zone of palaeozoic rocks extending thence to 
the Ahrenthnl and the Pusterthal. It would be possible to subdivide farther 
the group so limited, distinguishing, as has lately been proposed by M. von 
Sonklar, the Zillerthal Alps as a separate group. In the present state of 
our knowledge it seems most convenient to avoid further multiplication of 
groups. 

XXVII. Ankogel Group. 
This group is in every respect similar in character to the Tauern Group, 
of which it is orographically the eastern continuation, and from which it is 
separated only for the geological reasons above mentioned. Its eastern 
limit is marked by a zone of schists extending from the head of the valley of 
the Mur to the Drave. Its highest summit, the Ankogel (10,664'), is 
formed of a fine compact gneiss. 

XXVIII. Drave Group. 
The zone of palaeozoic rocks extending from the Gross Glockner through 
the Tefereggen Thai to the neighbourhood of Brunecken, separates •from the 
Tauern range another long and very narrow crystalline range, presenting 
many analogies with that of the Italian lakes (XVIII.) This group originates 
near the source of the Drave, and runs parallel to the course of that stream 
for a distance of over 50 miles, nearly to the confluence of the Moll at 
Sachsenburg. In the gneiss near Lienz there are indications of the fan 
structure. The Weiss Spitze, between the Tefereggen Thai and the Drave, 
is 9,703 ft. in height. 

XXIX. Carnic Alps. 
Though not reckoned among the principal groups of the Alps, the range 
dividing Friuli from Carinthia rises to a considerable height above the level 
plain that borders the Adriatic. The Burken Kogel (9,5 14'?), and the 
Paralba (8,812'), are among its highest summits. The crystalline nucleus is 
of gneiss and mica-schist, but this occupies little space as compared with the 
limestone ranges that, in common with the crystalline peaks,* feed the streams 
of the Taidiamento and the Piave. On the N". side this group is well defined 
by the zone of secondary rocks forming the mountains of the Gailthai. 

XXX. Hoch Golling Group. 
The chain of the Noric Alps, E. of the Ankogel Group, is divided into two 
branches, one lying N., the other S., of the valley of the Mur. The first of 

* Crystalline rocks are seen at various points in the dividing ridge of the Carnic Alps. Do they 
anywhere rise into peaks ? The summit of the Paraiba is formed of dolomite. — [Ed.] 



xcvi 



INTRODUCTION. 



these is the higher, but the crystalline nucleus does not reveal itself in the 
summits nearest to the road of the Radstadter Tauern. The gneiss, here 
passing into granite, makes its first appearance in the peak of the Hocli 
Golling (about 9,380'), and extends thence ENE. to the Hohenwarth (7,7280. 
The valleys of the Ens and the Mur enclose this group to the X. and S. 
respectively. 

XXXI. Eisenhut Group. 

This group, corresponding to the last, and lying between the Mur and the 
Drave, is less considerable in height, and the mountains are in great part 
covered with pasturage to their summits. The highest is the Eisenhut 
(8,0070- As elsewhere in the Noric Alps, gneiss and mica-schist are the 
prevailing rocks. The W. limit is formed by the palaeozoic rocks of the 
valley of the Lieser, while to the E. it is bounded by the broad valley, 
chiefly occupied by secondary deposits, extending from Klagenfurt to the 
valley of the Mur. 

XXXII. JUDENBURG ALPS. 

This group, though one of the lowest, is of more considerable extent than 
the last, which it resembles in its general character. In one respect it offers 
an interesting peculiarity. The deposits of molasse, which both on the E. 
and S. side abut against the gneiss rocks, show that the miocene sea reached 
to the base of the group. The group is nearly divided into two by the 
beautiful Lavant valley, on either side of which a range of moderate height 
runs X. and S. parallel to the valley. The higher of these forms the 
boundary between Styria and Carinthia. The highest summit is, apparently, 
the Speik Kogel (7,2690* near Reichenfels. 

XXXIII. Bacherwaed Group. 

The S. branch of the Judenburg Group does not stop at the Drave. It 
sends a considerable promontory of crystalline rock into the district lying 
between the Drave and the Save. This forms a range of hills of no 
orographic importance — the Bacherberg (5,1840 is little more than half the 
height of the calcareous ranges of the Karawankas or the Terglou — but 
interesting to the geologist as being the SE. extremity of the series of 
crystalline groups that make up the Alpine chain. Gneiss is here the 
representative of the series. 

XXXIY. The Semmering Group. 
The Judenburg and Hoch Golling Groups do not form the E. termination 
of the crystalline axis of the Alps. Besides the Bacherwald to the SE., a 
far more extensive and rather higher group extends E. of the Mur to the 
Semmering range, S. of Vienna, and even to the frontier of Hungary, in 
the neighbourhood of the Lake of Neusiedl. The mountains, if they deserve 
that name, have nothing Alpine in character, and the Wechsel, probably the 
highest summit, is but 5,824 ft. in height. This range formed the N. shore of 
the bay of the former miocene sea that once occupied Lower Styria. The 
molasse is seen along the whole S. and E. boundary of the group to abut 
against the gneiss, without the intervention of any intermediate zone of older 
stratified rock. It may be that this group is not unconnected with a small 
granitic district near Presburg, and through that may form a link between 
the Alps and the Little Carpathians. 



GEOLOGY OF THE ALPS. 



xcvii 



Observations on the Mode of Elevation of the Alps. 

To explain in a satisfactory manner the agencies by which the great chain 
of the Alps has been raised to its present height, is probably a task reserved 
for a future generation of geologists. It is but very lately that the elemen- 
tary facts have been ascertained upon which any sound theory must rest, and 
there can be little doubt that in this direction much remains to be brought to 
light by those who unite the qualities of the mountaineer with the habit of 
observing natural phenomena. It helps to give a direction to enquiry to 
put forward the conclusions which seem most in harmony with the present 
state of knowledge. 

The first observation that results from the preceding attempt to subdivide 
the Alpine chain in separate geological groups, having certain common 
characteristics, that though each group may be to a certain degree indepen- 
dent, there is yet an evident relation between them. In fact, if we consider 
at the same time any two adjoining groups, we shall in most cases find either 
that the one lies in the prolongation of the crystalline axis of the other, or 
else that they are portions of two parallel systems. 

If, with the help of the geological map of the Western Alps attached to 
this volume, the reader will lay down on a rude tracing the position and 
direction of the crystalline axis of each of the groups of the Western Alps, 
and carry the sketch on to the Lake of Como>, he will find that a single broad 
band, slightly curved, will coverall the exterior groups : i. e., those farthest 
from the valley of the Po. Taking the twin groups of the Finsteraarhorn 
and the St. Gotthard, with the similar pair, the Mont Blanc and Aiguilles 
Rouges Groups, then covering the elongated group of the Belledonne, with 
which that of the Grandes Rousses is in the same manner associated, and 
giving a more rapid bend so as to give the curve an elliptical form, he will 
find it pass over the Pelvoux Group, and that it may be carried on so as to 
include the Maritime Alps and the Ligurian Group. In this manner may be 
traced an exterior zone including nine groups. 

If we apply a similar process to the groups rising immediately from the 
plain of the valley of the Po, we shall find these groups included in a similar 
interior zone parallel to the first. Beginning at the E. end, where its width 
is greatest, we have the Sureta, Adula, and Tessin Groups, fallowed by that 
of Monte Rosa, which is linked to the Graian Alps by the crystalline masses 
that appear at the head of the Val Sesia ; and finally, the Cottiaa Alps at 
the SVV. extremity. 

Besides these two principal zones, we have indications of the existence of 
a third intermediate zone, less considerable than the others, but scarcely less 
important in its bearing on the general theory. If we bear in mind the 
small secondary group which we have mentioned in the neighbourhood of 
the Col de la Vanoise, and the indications of another similar crystalline 
islet in the Monte Viso and the head of the Val Maira, we may include both 
of these in a zone whose E. termination is in the Valais and Simplon Groups*. 

It requires no great stretch of fancy to prolong the zones of elevation 
here sketched out (especially the interior or Piedmontese zone) through the 
Elhagtian Alps to the Adige. There is, however, a sufficient reason for 
iaution in attempting so wide a generalisation. The mass of sedimentary 



XCV111 



INTRODUCTION. 



rocks in tbe Oberbaibstein valley which marks the E. limit of the Sureta 
Group, indicates at the same time a change in the general direction of the 
stratification. W. of that limit the strike of the strata is generally N. and 
S., whereas on the E. side k is usually E. and W., or parallel to the direction 
of the main ridges. 

Indications, however, are not wanting to show that the separate groups of 
the Rhsetian Alps may be distributed in parallel zones, and further study of 
the numerous subordinate divisions of the Bernina Group will probably 
throw additional light on the subject. 

A similar disposition is more evident in the chain of the [SToric Alps. An 
outer or northern zone is formed by the Tauern, Ankogel, Hoch Golling, 
and Semmering Groups ; and a second, nearly parallel, system includes the 
groups of the Drave and Eisenhut, with the Jud< nburger Alps forming its E. 
termination. To these a third interior zone may be added, if we bear in 
mind that the small crystalline masses of the Carnic Alps and the Baeher- 
wald are connected orographically by the more elevated ranges of the 
Terglou and the Karawankas. 

Having briefly indicated the relationship by which most of the separate 
groups of the Alpine chain are connected together, it next oecurs to us to 
consider whether the facts lead to any reasonable conclusions in regard to 
the epoch of their upheaval, and the conditions under which, that occurred. 

Here the study of the sedimentary strata subsisting in the troughs or 
intervals between the separate groups, or on the outer flanks of the chain, 
offers the only sure guide. The broad fact that the same sedimentary 
deposits, varying very little in mineral character, extend over very con- 
siderable spaces on the same side of the main chain, and are often present 
in the troughs separating parallel groups, offers a strong argument in favour 
of the belief that the process of upheaval proceeded simultaneously, if not 
along the entire line, at least over a very wide area. When we find the 
same sedimentary rocks, lying in the same order of superposition, on the 
outer slopes of two parallel ridges, and in the trough between them — a 
relation which holds to a great extent in a section taken from the Val Ferrex 
across the range of Mont Blanc and the Aiguilles Rouges — we are entitled 
to infer the contemporaneous elevation of both ranges. 

A still more difficult branch of enquiry presents itself when we endeavour 
to infer from the present condition of the sedimentary strata surrounding 
the crystalline centres of the Alps, the probable condition of the surface 
when these were originally uplifted. 

In studying various mountain chains of moderate height we are led to 
admit us highly probable the conclusion that before the upheaval of the 
range the sedimentary rocks which we now find cropping out on the opposite 
flanks, lay in conformable stratification, forming a continuous portion of the 
crust until broken through by the force which carried the inferior masses to 
the surface. In such cases the edges of the strata exposed on the opposite 
flanks of the range would actually reunite if a movement of subsidence were 
to depress it to its former level, save in so far as denudation has since acted 
on the exposed section of each deposit. 

There are several portions of the Alps where a similar mode of reasoning 
leads to a similar conclusion. As one instance, we find the stratified rocks 
on the opposite sides of the Belledonne Group so similar in their composition 



GEOLOGY OF THE ALPS. 



xcix 



and arrangement as to lead to the inference that they must, at one period, 
have formed portions of a continuous mass. An additional proof is found in 
the fact affirmed by M. Lory, that fragments of the same liassic deposits that 
lie upon the opposite slopes of the same range are preserved in the folds of 
the crystalline rocks near to the crest of the ridge. A similar argument may 
be applied to the range of the Aiguilles Rouges where patches of triassic and 
liassic rocks, identical with those of the Buet and the Valley of Chamouni, 
are found near to the summit ; and as the same strata reappear in the Val 
Ferrex, we are led to infer the probability of their former extension over the 
area now occupied by the range of Mont Blanc. 

It would, however, be rash to conclude from these and some other special 
instances that throughout the entire chain of the Alps a similar continuity of 
identical strata existed up to the period when its various members were 
uplifted. It is true, as we shall have occasion to show, that the difference 
between the sedimentary rocks on the opposite sides of the great chain is 
less great than was formerly supposed, yet the contrast is, in many respects, 
too great, and the distance between the scattered members of the same 
formation too wide to authorise such a sweeping conclusion. We must bear 
in mind that, with the exception of some small patches of tertiary strata, no 
sedimentary rocks of any description are found on the southern slopes of the 
Alps, through the long interval between the Val Mara and the Lago 
Maggiore. Throughout that space the crystalline rocks abut directly on 
the margin of the alluvial plain of the valley of the Po. Unless we assume 
the action of denudation on a scale of which we have no well-proved example 
elsewhere, or suppose that the entire of the original southern slope, with its 
coating of sedimentary rocks, has subsided below the level of the plain, and 
been thus concealed from view, there seems no remaining alternative but to 
admit that the rocks which are developed on so vast a scale in Savoy and 
Southern Switzerland were never deposited in the southern slopes adjoining 
the valley of the Po. If this imply, as it apparently must do, that the district 
in question was dry land while the sea flowed over the area occupied by the 
j western and northern flanks of the chain, we must admit that the whole 
region must have undergone various oscillations of level previous to the great 
changes that determined the present relief of the surface, and learn to 
recognise in the Piedmontese Alps the remains of an island or shore of a 
continent, washed by the sea in whose bed the vast masses of sedimentary 
strata of Dauphine and Savoy were being accumulated. 

In support of this conclusion, and tending to prove great oscillations of 
level during the deposition of the strata in question, M. G. de Mortillet* has 
i given several instances of sudden changes in the thickness of particular beds 
of stratified rock in the Dauphine ana Savoy Alps. 
,•„, To work out these difficult problems, and trace the history of the past in 
ithe complicated phenomena of the present, is the task that remains tor the 
■., next generation of geologists. 

Sedimentary Deposits. 

The sedimentary deposits of the Alps are in many respects widely different 
from those of all other known mountain chains. The most practised 
• geologist, whose experience has been gained in other regions, here fails to 

* Bulletin de la Societe Geologique de France, tome xix. p. 857. 
f 2 



c 



INTRODUCTION. 



recognise those fixed points, which elsewhere serve to fix the position of a 
rock in the general succession of the strata. To gain a knowledge of 
the structure of a mountain district in the Alps, as M. Studer has remarked, 
a single section, or even several sections, are quite insufficient. In the 
absence of a required starting-point, the order ot superposition of different 
masses of stratified rock conveys no accurate knowledge. It is necessary 
to follow patiently along the line of outcrop of each deposit, in the hope 
that every now and then, and at long intervals, some traces of fossils mav 
throw a light upon his path. It too often happens that he is disappointed 
in this expectation, and he is often left to infer the age of one deposit 
merely from its relative position in respect to overlying or underlying 
strata, whose age has been more or less accurately determined. 

The Alpine geologist has not merely to contend with the difficulties 
arising from upheaval and depression, the repeated folding of the strata, or 
the actual reversion of their original order of superposition ; he has to deal 
with deposits, which scarcely ever retain the characters which are elsewhere 
familiar to him. The marls and clays here appear as hard slates, the 
calcareous deposits as crystalline marble, as dolomite, or as cellular limestone, 
and even where their mineral structure is less changed, the colour is con- 
stantly altered. Thus the representative of the chalk in the Sentis is a 
black limestone. The most formidable difficulty of all arises from the 
absence or rarity of fossils. 

It is not surprising that the first attempts of Alpine geologists should have 
failed to discover a clue through this labyrinth. For a long time the 
opinion prevailed that the Alps were composed of peculiar rocks altogether 
different from those elsewhere known to geologists, and even thirty years 
ago the stratified rocks of the Alps were generally classed only in three 
general divisions, under the names C dcaire Alpin, Flysch, and Verrvcuno, to 
which on the outer flanks of the chain were added Molasse and Nugelflue. 
At the present day, thanks to the persevering labours of independent Swiss 
and Italian geologists, and to the encouragement given to geological research 
by the Austrians, French, and Bavarian governments,* the Alps have 
ceased to form an exceptional region. The principal formations, and most 
of their subordinate groups, have been identified witU more or less precision 
in various parts of the chain. 

As might be anticipated, the most serious difficulties have been encountered 
in the interior troughs, where narrow bands of sedimentary rocks are found 
in the spaces lying between adjoining crystalline masses, and have under- 
gone the utmost degree of mechanical disturbance, as well as metamorphic 
action. Nevertheless, if it be true that these crystalline masses have been 
forced upwards through the overlying stratified deposits — it matters little 
whether in a solid or semi-fluid condition — it follows that the deposits 
remaining in the intervening troughs must have been originally the 
same as those found on the exterior flanks of the cluiin. Metamorphisiu 
has in many cases, however, so completely altered their aspect as to make 
it all but impossible to recognise them, and this is carried so far that it 

* It is but an act of simple justice to add the name of our eminent countryman, Sir Roderick 
Murciiison. His earlies' papers published in 1829 and 1830, the latter jointly with Professor Sedg- 
wick, and his important memoir on the Geological Structure of the Alps, Apennines, andCarpathi ns, 
p es* nted to the Geological Society in December 1848, not to mention other writings, have largely 
contributed to the establishment of correct views as to the true relations of the sedimentary deposits 
of the Alps.— [En ] 



GEOLOGY OF THE ALPS. 



ci 



is sometimes very difficult to distinguish' between the altered sedimentary 
formation and the underlying crystalline nucleus. 

From these observations it follows that a beginner wishing to study the 
sedimentary deposits of the Alps, should commence his observations on the 
outer slopes of the main chain where the rocks are comparatively little 
altered. Tracing, step by step, the same formation from the outer zone to 
the interior recesses of the chain, he will learn to identify rocks whose 
mineral structure is often widely different. In this way we find in the 
Yalais, near Sion, the carboniferous formation well identified and associated 
with beds of coal worked for fuel. The coal is associated with rocks, such 
as certain conglomerates and schists, whose relative position and general 
character is such that we are able to recognise them elsewhere, even in spite 
of the metamorphic action to which they have been subjected. 

There is no foundation for the supposition that the more ancient strata 
have constantly undergone a higher degree of metamorphic action than the 
newer formations. Thus we find at the Furka Pass, which is a continuation of 
the great trough of the Rhone Valley, and at the neighbouring Pass of Niifenen, 
similarly related to the Yal Bedretto, a highly metamorphic rock, containing 
plates of mica and garnets, formerly counted as a crystalline schist, but now 
proved by the presence of belemnites to belong to the Jurassic formation. 

As a general rule, the troughs, and especially those of no great width, 
contain only palaeozoic and older secondary deposits ; the newer secondary 
and tertiary rocks are generally absent. Thus on the new geological map 
of M. A. Favre we find no rock newer than the Lias in the valley of Cha- 
mouni and the Yal Ferrex on the opposite sides of the Mont Blanc range. 
The Urseren Thai contains palaeozoic rocks, with some fragments of the 
Jurassic formation. The trough separating the Tauern Group from that of 
the Drave does not appear to contain any newer deposit. 

In some of the wider troughs we find the Jurassic formation developed on 
a large scale, and some patches of eocene limestone have been detected at 
one or two points ; but the miocene is nowhere found in the valleys of the 
Alps, if we except the cases already mentioned, at their eastern extremity in 
Carinthia and Carniola. The molasse forms an external girdle encompassing 
the chain, but at a distance from the higher summits. 

As we have already mentioned, it is upon the outer slopes of the Alps, 
and at a distance from the crystalline groups, that the sedimentary rocks can 
be studied to the best advantage. Here it is sometimes possible to observe 
the entire series, from the palaeozoic to the miocene deposits, following each 
other in their natural order, and so much the better displayed as they are 
remote from the centres of disturbance. It is on this account that the 
Eastern Alps are, on the whole, more favourable for the study of the stratified 
rocks than the central and western divisions of the chain, and that we owe 
to the Austrian geologists several important steps in the determination of the 
true relations of the strata. 

Paleozoic, or Transition Series. 
If it be a recognised truth that the metamorphic action, which in the Alps 
has so extensively modified the sedimentary rocks, depends directly or in- 
directly on the vicinity of the crystalline centres, it follows that the oldest 
formations, being generally speaking nearest to those centres, must be those 
which have most frequently been subjected to alteration. This holds 



Cll 



INTRODUCTION. 



especially as to the Central and Western Alps. The metamorphic action 
has worked with less intensity at the E. end of the chain, and it is there 
alone that it has been possible to recover the traces of the earliest forma- 
tions 

Silurian and Devonian Formations. 
Sir Roderick Murchison was the first to establish the existence of Silurian 
rocks in the neighbourhood of Gratz, in Styria. They were afterwards 
recognised near Werfen, in the valley of the Salza ; and M. Gumbel has 
traced the same formation along the course of that stream westward through 
the Pinzgau, and as far as Rothernburg on the Inn, and eastward to Rad- 
stadt, at the head of the valley of the Enns. They have also been observed 
near the junction of the Miirz with the Mur. No rocks of Silurian or Devo- 
nian age have yet been identified in the Central or Western Alps, but we 
must not, on that account, infer their necessary absence. We may well 
admit, with Murchison, the probability that these earlier strata lie concealed 
among the vast masses of metamorphic rock whose origin still remains un- 
certain. 

Carboniferous Formation. 

To understand the part played by this formation in the Alps, we must 
distinguish its two main divisions — the Mountain Limestone, of marine origin, 
and the Coal Measures. 

Like the Silurian formation, the Mountain Limestone is at present known 
only in the Eastern Alps. It was first detected by Messrs. Murchison and 
Verneuil, in examining a collection of fossils from Bleiberg in Carinthia which 
included species of producing and other characteristic species. It has been 
since recognised in the Gaithal, and on a more considerable scale in Friuli, 
where the Austrian geologists distinguish two subdivisions, the lower, 
schistose, the upper, true limestone. 

While the marine division of this formation is confined to the Eastern 
Alps, the overlying Coal Measures are mainly, if not exclusively, confined to 
the Central and Western Alps, where they are developed on a very consider- 
able scale. Beds of anthracite and true coal belonging to this formation, 
have long been known and worked at various points in Switzerland and 
Savoy, as, for instance, at Chandolin near Sion, at Coupeau near Chamouni, 
in the valley of the Isere, and that of the Arc. These beds are associated 
sometimes with schist, sometimes with grit or conglomerate, which may all 
be safely referred to the same formation. This occupies a considerable 
space in the provinces of Maurienne and Tarentaise in Savoy, and by its 
singular relations to the lias at Petit Coeur, the Col des Encombres, and 
other localities, has caused much controversy among geologists. In some of 
these cases there has been not only a complete inversion of the natural 
order of position, but this has been followed by a folding together of the 
beds, so that the older and newer deposits appear to alternate the one with 
the other. The impressions of ferns and other plants known to belong to 
the coal measures, have been the guides to a recognition of this formation i 
other parts of the Alps, as in the Val d'Aosta, and the Maritime Alps. 

The identification of a certain conglomerate of Yal Orsine, on the wa 
from Chamouni to Martigny, by the impressions of Sigillaria>, has been o 
great value, as this conglomerate, when traced to a distance, has preserved 
its peculiar character in spite of the alteration of the surrounding rocks. 



GEOLOGY OF THE ALPS. 



cm 



Permian Formation. 
The Permian strata have not yet been identified in the Alps with any 
certainty. It is not unlikely f however, that certain rocks hitherto classed 
as verrucano, and distinguished by Prof. Theobald as Talcose quartzite, should 
be referred to this formation. They are found in the Rhaetian range, at 
Davos, in the Engadme, and especially in the Munster Thai. 

Indeterminate Transition Rocks. 
The area occupied by the palaeozoic rocks, whose position in the geological 
scale has been tolerably well ascertained, is but small in comparison with 
the large extent of metamorphic rocks, probably all belonging to- this series, 
that remain as yet to be accurately determined. In this class we include the 
grey slates and green slates of M. Studer, the clay slates of the Tyrol and 
Austrian Alps, the metamorphic rocks of the Cottian and Graian Alps, 
referred by M. Sismonda to the Jurassic formation, and a considerable part 
of the zone of metamorphic rocks, connecting the Maritime Alps with the 
Ligurian group. We are disposed to include provisionally, certain igneous 
rocks containing hornblende, as well as some mica-schists, when either 
are found to alternate with crystalline limestone or dolomite. The re- 
searches of future geologists may refer these rocks to their proper place in 
the above series, or possibly to some earlier group anterior to the Silurian. 

Secondary Series. 
Trias Formation. 

The Trias may be said to be the characteristic formation of the eastern 
half of the Chain of the Alps. On crossing the Rhine we not only find it 
largely developed in the Vorarlberg, Algau, the Bavarian and Tyrolese Alps, 
and in the districts of Salzburg and Admont, but also in the interior valley 
of the Inn, and on the S. side of the main chain, where it extends as far west 
as the Lake of Lugano. We shall see farther on that, though occupying a 
much less area, it is not wanting in the Western Alps. 

The geologist who has studied this formation in England or Prance, or in 
G-ermany where it is most fully developed, and who is familiar with its three 
well-marked divisions, known in ascending order as the New Red Sandstone, 
the Muschelkalk, and the Keuper, is led to expect that no great difficulty 
can be found in identifying deposits which elsewhere retain their general 
character with such constancy over a wide area. In point of fact, however, 
this is precisely the least easy to recognise and identify of all the Alpine 
sedimentary formations. Laborious and patient research was needed before 
it could be ascertained that the bituminous limestone of the Lake of Como, 
as well as a great portion of the dolomite of the Eastern Alps, are the 
equivalents of the Muschelkalk, and, stranger still, that the Keuper is repre- 
sented by compact limestones in the Tvrol. Not only are the representa- 
tives of these deposits widely different from the ordinary forms known else- 
where, but they vary in a perplexing manner in different parts of the Alps, 
so that the identification of a particular rock in one district offers no- clue to 
the determination of another coeval formation in another district, where it is 
utterly different in its external characters. 

It is only by careful search, and minute examination of the very scanty 
remains of animal or vegetable life, that the principal members of this 



civ 



INTRODUCTION. 



formation have been recognised under the various disguises which they have 
assumed. Many of the>e determinations must be regarded rather as reason- 
able conjectures than as proved results. There is ample room for further 
research, which will doubtless serve to modify and complete the views now 
held by Alpine geologists. 

On the northern side of the great chain we find the New Red Sandstone^ 
represented in the Austrian Alps by red and green slates, known as the 
Schists of YYerfen. Farther W., in the Grisons, and on the shores of the 
Lake of TVallenstadt, certain sandstones, and a red conglomerate, are the 
equivalents of the same deposit. These have been improperly called Verm- 
cauo from their supposed identity with the rock forming the Verrucn, and 
the greater part of the Monte Pisano, in Tuscany. In truth the true Verru- 
cano belongs to the carboniferous formation, while the Grisons rock is 
undoubtedly triassic. In Lombardy certain coarse conglomerates are imme- 
diately overlaid by an argillaceous slate of variable colour, called Servino, 
which appears to be a minor subdivision of this group. 

The sandstones and conglomerates representing the lowest member of this 
formation are covered in the southern Tyrol and in Bavaria by calcnreous 
rocks, which in some places are associated with vast masses of dolomite. 
Doubts have long existed, and still survive, in regard to the exact limits to 
be assigned to the limestones and dolomites that are developed on a vast 
scale in the region between the Adige and the Piave, but it is certain that a 
considerable portion belongs to the Muschelkalk. In Carinthia this division 
of the trias is represented by the Guttenstein limestone, while in Lombardy 
it corresponds to the so-called Inferior Dolomite, and to beds of bituminous 
limestone, rich in remains of fish, reptiles, and fossil shells, known as the 
Yarenna and Perledo Beds. 

Great difficulty has been found in the attempt to distinguish the Alpine 
equivalents of the Keuper from the underlying deposits representing the 
Muschelkalk on the one hand, and from the lowest stage of the Lias on the 
other. It may now be considered as decided that the Raibl Limestone of the 
Austrian geologists, and the St. Cassian beds of the S. Tyrol, belongs to the 
Lower Keuper, and to the same stage may be referred the Schists of 
Partnach, and the Hallstadt Limestone. 

Above these lower beds of the Keuper we find va^t masses of dolomite, 
known in Bavaria and the Voralberg as the Chief Dolomite. This cor- 
responds to the middle Keuper, and is probably represented in the Jura by 
the dolomite beds that separate the Letteukohie, or clay coal, of Wurtemburg 
from the upper Keuper. 

Above the middle Keuper, represented by this great extension of dolomite, 
are a series of deposits which are most fully developed in the Rhsetian Alps, 
and therefore called the Rhaetian Group. It is a question amongst geologists 
whether this series should be attributed to the Keuper, or should be classed 
as a distinct member at the base of the next formation, under the name Intra 
Lias. The latter opinion is sustained by M. Stoppani, who has traced in 
Lombardy the equivalents of most of the members of the Keuper, as well 
as the Rhaetian group. 

M. Alphonse Favre has succeeded in tracing the trias throughout a con- 
siderable portion of the Western Alps. In contrast to the opposite end of 
the chain, where it forms massive peaks, it is here usually limited to a thin 



GEOLOGY OF THE ALPS. 



band, a few feet in thickness, extending along the line of junction of the 
lias with the carboniferous formation, but representing an almost incalcu- 
lable lapse of time. 

Lias Formation. 

The Lias usually presents itself in the form of marly deposits, which, even 
when consolidated in the form of rock, display Utile solidity. Hence in the 
Jura the outcrop of this formation, instead of being marked by eminences, 
usually corresponds to depressions, locally known as combes. The case is 
otherwise in the Alps, where it usually appears as a hard and compact lime- 
stone; but the fossils being for the most part identical, leave no doubt that 
the one is geologically the representative of the other. 

The Lower Lias has been identified chiefly in the central and western 
parts of the Alpine chain. Thus a limestone deposit near Meillerie, on the 
Lake of Geneva, containing Ammonites Bucklandi, has been referred to this 
stage of the formation, to which also belong the calcareous schists of Petit 
Cceurin Tarentaise, apparently intercalated in the midst of the Coal Measures. 
Certain slates of the Oisans district, and limestones of the neighbourhood of 
Briancon, have been referred hither by M. Lory, and to the same stage 
Messrs. Stoppani and Ragazzoni refer a series of rocks that have been 
traced along the S. side of the Lombard Alps from the Lake of Garda to 
that of Lugano, and which are especially developed about Saltrio and 
Arzo. 

The Upper Lias is represented on the S. side of the Alps by a well-known 
rock, the Calcare Rosso Ammonitifero of Italian geologists, especially 
developed about the Lake of Como, and near Erba, in Brianza. The name 
is justified by the extraordinary abundance of ammonites, yet is open to 
objection as not beinrj exclusively appropriate to this formation. M. Von 
Hauer distinguishes two divisions of this deposit, one of which he refers to 
the upper lias, the other to the oolite. Some of the Lombard geologists 
contest this division, and maintain that the fossils supposed to characterise 
each formation are found associated together in the same beds. The matter 
i deserves further investigation. 

The same stage of the lias is represented in the Austrian and Bavarian 
Alps by several groups of deposits, of which the most important are the 
Adneth Limestone, corresponding to the Calcare Ammonitifero and the 
Spotted Marls of Algau (Fleckenmergel). 

The Upper Lias is also found in the Western Alps, as in Tarentaise, below 
[ the Col des Encombres, and in the Bernese Alps, near Chalet St. Denis, 
near Biumenstein in the Stoekhorn range, and above Bex. The fossils 
found in the two last localities seem to show that the Middle Lias, not 
identified elsewhere in the Alps, is there present, as well as the upper and 
lower members of that formation. 

Oolite Formation. 

The name Oolite has been objected to, with some reason, as being suitable 
only to certain members of this formation; but to the name Jurassic forma- 
tion there is the stronger objection that this is vague in its limits, .the term 
having been applied by some writers to the oolite, and by others to the oolite 
and lias collectively. We retain provisionally the older designation. The 
geologist must not expect to find this important formation so fully developed 



cvi 



INTRODUCTION. 



in the Alps as in England, Fi ance, or the Jura range, but the chief subor- 
dinate groups have been satisfactorily identified. 

The Inferior Oolite was first identified in the Bernese Alps. It is well 
marked in the two localities above referred to near the Blumenstein and 
above Bex, where it is found overlying the Upper Lias and is identified by 
fossils of which Belemnites giganteus is one of the most conspicuous. It 
has been traced SW. through the Canton of Vaud, and NE. to the foot of 
the Titlis, and by the flanks of the Glarnisch to the Lake of Wallenstadt. 
In Savoy its presence has been recognised near the Col d'Anterne, between 
Sixt and Servoz, and elsewhere in the same district. It has been found in 
the Knebachthal (Vorarlbe. g) by M. Escher, and in the Vicentine and 
Veronese Alps by M. de Zigno. 

The Middle Oolite, or Oxfordian of foreign geologists, plays a more 
important part in the Alps than either the upper or lower members of this 
formation. It is to this that we refer the enormous masses of limestone 
which formerly, along with other members of the Jurassic System, passed 
under the vague name of Alpine limestone. It is in the chain of the Bernese 
Alps that this attains its maximum development; it there forms the grand 
peaks of the Altels (11,923'), Blumlis Alp (12,041 / ), the outer peak of the 
Wetterhorn (12,1490, and the Titlis (10,6200. The same formation con- 
stitutes much of the mountain country between the Lake of Thun and the 
Lake of Geneva. It is probable that the limestone which makes up a great 
part of the Windgelle, the Scherrhorn, the Clariden Grat, and the Todi, 
belongs to the same stage of the oolite. It usually appears as a brittle hard 
rock, sounding under the hammer like glass, with finely granular crystalline 
fracture, and treacherous to the climber, as it is usually traversed by 
fissures along the line of stratification. This rock often exhibits a curious 
phenomenon known by the name of Karrenfeldcr (Fr. lapias). Considerable 
surfaces of bare rock are traversed by parallel fissures or grooves, separated 
by narrow and sharp edges. A good example may be seen near the 
Dauben See at the summit of the Gemmi Pass. 

Fossils are rare in this rock; a few belemnites and ammonites are seen at 
intervals, the characteristic species being Belemnites hastatus, and Ammonites 
tortisulcatus. The belemnites are often traversed by veins of quartz or 
calcareous spar, while the ammonites are distorted in a manner that shows 
the action of enormous pressure. 

The fossils lately discovered by M. Favre in the Val Ferrex on the S. 
side of Mont Blanc prove that this stage of the oolite formation is present 
there, and a continuous zone of the same rock may be traced along the 
W. side of the Dauphine Alps, from Gap to the neighbourhood of Gre- 
noble. 

The Oxfordian deposits exhibit somewhat different characters on the 
south side of the Alps. In the Alps of Vicenza M. de Zigno assures* us 
that beds with impressions of plants of the oolitic period are covered by a 
yellowish limestone containing characteristic Oxfordian fossils, while this in 
its turn is overlaid by the red and yellow limestone which has passed in the 
Venetian Alps for the Calcare Rosso Ammonitifero. It is, however, a 
different rock from that bearing the same name in Lombardy, which, as we 
have already seen, belongs to the upper lias, while that now in question 
contains species peculiar to the middle oolite ; e. g. .Ammonites plicatilis, 



GEOLOGY OF THE ALPS. 



CV11 



A. tatricus, A. anceps, along with equally characteristic species of Aptychus. 
The Oxfordian Limestone may be traced along the Venetian Alps to the 
Italian Tyrol, where it is seen near Trent and Roveredo, whence it extends 
to Lombardy, appearing near Brescia in the form of a red siliceous lime- 
stone. 

It seems probable the rock indicated by M. Gumbel in his geological 
map of Bavaria under the name Upper Jura Limestone, and which has been 
traced in the Vorarlberg, and as far west as the Galanda near Coire, being 
everywhere distinguished by the prevalence of species of Aptychus, belongs 
to this stage of the oolite, though some geologists are disposed to refer it to 
the Kimmeridgian section of the following division. 

Various ferrugineous deposits in the Alps, such as those of Ardon in the 
Valais, and the iron sand of the Bavarian Alps, seem to be the representa- 
tives of the Kelloway rock, and therefore a portion of the Middle Oolite. 
We may perhaps include in the same group the iron deposits containing 
Chamosite at the head of the valley of Cbamoson in the Valais, and the 
deposits worked for many centuries at Gonzen near Sargans. 

The Superior Oolite appears to be developed on a scale much less consider- 
able than the preceding group. It has not been detected either in the 
Eastern or Western Alps, and is limited in Switzerland, so far as we know, 
to the district between the E. end of the Lake of Geneva and the Lake of 
Thun, enclosing the upper parts of the Simmenthal and the valley of the 
Sarine, extending NE. as far as the Baths of Weissenburg, and SE. to the 
Tours d* Ay. On the S. side of the Lake of Geneva, it reappears in the 
province of Chablais, reaching a considerable height in the Cornettes range, 
and the mountains enclosing the head of the Dranse d' Abondance. The 
rock is a dark-coloured limestone of shaky texture. In the last-named 
locality these beds of secondary coal are worked for fuel. These beds, as 
well as the shale with which they are associated, abound in shells partly of 
fresh water, partly of marine origin. The fossils found on ths Swiss side of 
the lake make it probable that the rock is the equivalent of the Kimeridge 
Clay, but there is some room to suspect that the beds above spoken of in the 
valley of Dranse belong to the Wealden formation, rather than to any por- 
tion of the Oolite. 

Cretaceous Formation. 

With the doubtful exception above suggested there is no appearance of 
any deposits in the Alps corresponding to the interval between the Oolite 
and the Cretaceous formations. It is only of late years that the presence of 
the principal subdivisions of the latter formation has been clearly made out, 
and the Neocomian Group, not before known at all, has been shown to be 
the most largely developed. The chief seat of this formation is in the 
Western and Central Alps. The period of its deposition appears to have 
been one of frequent disturbance, so that the series of its members is rarely 
continuous : sometimes one, sometimes another, is entirely absent, leading us 
to infer oscillations of the relative level of land and sea, or else very exten- 
sive denudation at successive intervals 

The Neocomian group forms a broad band along the French and Savoy 
side of the Western Alps extending from Provence to the neighbourhood of 
Chambery, where it forms the range of the Grande Chartreuse. Attaining 



cviii 



INTRODUCTION. 



its greatest width in the region enclosing the lakes of Bourget and Annecy, 
it divides into two branches, the western of which forms a conspicuous por- 
tion of the Jura range, while the eastern branch traverses the province of 
Chablais — and extends right across Switzerland, along the N. side of the 
Bernese Alps, through the Faulhorn and the Brienzer Grat, to the Pilatus 
and the Mythen on the Lake of Lucerne, and thence to the loftier peak of the 
Glarnisch. NE. of the Lake of Wallenstadt, it reappenrs in the range of 
the Churfiirsten and the Sentis, and crossing the Rhine is still traced at 
intervals through the Bavarian Alps, and the adjoining portions of the Tyrol 
JST. of the Inn. 

This stage of the Cretaceous formation, which is best known to English 
geologists as the Lower Greensand, was subdivided by Studer into two well- 
marked members — the lower, called by him Spatangus -kulk, characterised 
by the prevalence of Spatangus retusus — the upper, called Schratten-kalk ; 
equally well marked by the abundance of Caprotina ammonia. Later 
researches have induced geologists still further to subdivide this group, and 
four distinct members are now generally recognised. We shall briefly notice 
them in ascending order. 

The Valangian, whose type is seen in the J ura near Neuchatel, appears as 
a hard siliceous limestone at the E. end of the Lake of Lucerne, in the 
Glarnisch, and the Sentis. 

The True Neocomian, or Spatangus Limestone, is a nearly dark limestone 
of slaty texture, often containing much silex. It is generally poor in 
fossils. Exceptions to this observation are the localities of Rieki and Ro- 
faien above the Axenberg, some points in the Sentis chain, and in the valley 
of the Sihl. Spatangus ? , etusus (Toxaster compianutus, Ag.), Exogyra Couloni 
and Ostrea macroptera are the characteristic fossils. The Crioceras Lime' 
stone, so named from the fossils of the genera crioceras and ancylocera, which 
distinguish this member of the Neocomian group in Provence. Jn the Alps 
it forms a compact limestone with a conchoidal fracture, of pale grey colour 
mottled with black. This is found in the Voirons near Geneva, at Chatel 
St. Denis, N. of Vevey, in the Justithal, near the Lake of Thun, but is 
chiefly developed in the range of the Stockhorn, where it forms several of the 
highest peaks. 

The Urgonian, or Schratten-kalk, or Caprotina Limestone. This is a com- 
pact hard limestone, usually paler in colour than the true Neocomian, and 
remarkable for its sterility. It is thus often recognised at a distance, where 
it forms a zone of nearly bare rock on the steep side of a mountain, as for 
instance, on the slopes of the Hohgaut and the Abendberg, near Interlaken. 
In the Entlibuch, where it is extensively developed, the rain-water scoops 
out long tortuous channels — locally named Schratten — on the bare surface. 
Hence the name given to the rock by the Swiss geologists. The charac- 
teristic fossils are Caprotina ammonia and Badiolites neocomensis. In the 
upper zone occur beds formed almost exclusively of Orbitolites lenticularis^ 
announcing the transition to the succeeding division of the Cretaceous 
formation. 

The Gault has been traced at intervals along the margin of the Neocomian 
deposits from Savoy to the Sentis, and thence into the Vorarlberg and 
Bavarian Alps. It usually presents the appearance of a narrow band of 
green or nearly black sandstone, easily disintegrated. It is often rich in 



GEOLOGY OF THE ALPS. 



cix 



fossils, and therefore very important for the determination of the under and 
over-lying strata. Amongst the localities where these fossils are most easily- 
found, we may notice the head of the valley of the Reposoir in Savoy, the 
slopes above Saxonnet in the valley of the Arve, and the Meglis Alp and 
See Alp in the Sentis. 

The upper division of the Cretaceous formation, which is divided by conti- 
nental geologists into three groups ; the Cenomanian, or Upper Greensand, 
the Turanian, or Chalk-marl, and the Senonian, or Flint Chalk, is far less 
developed in the Alps than the lower division of the same formation. The 
Sewen limestone, which occupies a large space in the NE. of Switzerland, 
where it forms the summits of the Kamor, Hohenkasten, and Sentis, is there 
the only representative of the above deposits. This rock is a compact, dis- 
tinctly stratified limestone, of pale, or dark, or reddish grey colour, and 
conchoidal structure. It is sometimes bituminous, and sometimes contains 
flint nodules. In consequence of its close conformity of stratification with 
the underlying Gault it has been sometimes referred to the Cenomanian, or 
Upper Greensand, but the presence of Ananchytes ovata, a fossil especially 
characteristic of the true Chalk, appears conclusive proof that it should be 
regarded as the equivalent of that member of the series. 

Certain deposits, developed on an extensive scale at Gosau, in the Salzburg 
Alps, and extending thence eastward into Austria, and SW. into the Tyrol, 
have caused much controversy among geologists. They are very varied in 
composition, including marls, sandstones, conglomerates, and limestones. 
M. Gumbel is disposed to refer these deposits to the Turonian group, to 
which he would also refer scattered patches of cretaceous limestone found at 
several localities in the Eastern Alps, e. g., at the head of the Ammergau, on 
the banks of the Kochel See, and on the 1. bank of the Inn, opposite the 
opening of the Zillerthal. 

The cretaceous formation is not wanting on the S. side of the Alps, but it 
is a matter of much difficulty to identify the rocks in that region with the 
subdivisions adopted elsewhere, and on that account it has appeared most 
convenient to notice them apart. 

In the Venetian Alps the Oxfordian,or Middle Oolite, is immediately suc- 
ceeded by a white compact limestone, called Biancone, which M de Zigno 
has positively identified by its fossils with the Neocomian ; it is probably ta 
be referred to the subdivision above named, Crioceras limestone. 

According to M. de Mortiilet, the s .me deposit extends along the S. side 
of the Alps into Lombardy, but the name Biancone is there exchanged for 
that of Majolica. Geologists are yet undecided as to the true position of the 
majolica. One portion of it appears, like the Biancone, to be in no respect 
different from the Neocomian ; but we are assured by several excellent 
geologists that in the lower beds of the same limestone there is found a 
mixture of characteristic fossils of the Oxfordian period, along with those of 
the Neocomian. From this fact, M. de Mortiilet deduces the important 
conclusion that, during the long period occupied elsewhere by the Upper 
Oolite and the Weahlen formations, the Oxfordian and Neocomian fauna here 
succeeded each other by a process of slow intermixture, until the former 
was gradually supplanted by the latter. 

The Gault is not wanting in the Venetian Alps, but as the mineral 
character of the rock is the same as that of the underlying Neocomian, and 



cx 



INTRODUCTION. 



fossils are scarce, the identification is very difficult. The late M. Massalongo 
was the first to establish the presence of the Gault near Tregnago, NE. of 
Verona. M. de jNJortillet believes that it is also represented in the sections 
which he has made in the neighbourhood of the Lake of Iseo, but fossils 
are as yet wanting. 

The last-named geologist refers to the Turonian, or Upper Greenland, a 
grey limestone dotted with small crystals of calc-spar, sometimes oolitic in 
texture, and sometimes composed almost exclusively of shells and other 
organic remains, found in several parts of the Venetian Alps overlying the 
Biancone. Numerous hippurites and other dossils were found by him near 
the lake of Santa Croce, in the province of Belluno, and farther east in 
Friuli. He finds the same fossils in a conglomerate worked at Sirone in 
Brhmza, N. of Milan, and between Gorlago and Sarnico in the province 
of Bergamo. 

The equivalent of the Senonian, or Flint Chalk, is known in the Venetian 
Alps by the name Scaglia. It is usually an argillaceous limestone, stratified 
in thin layers, varying in colour from white to dull red, sometimes con- 
taining flint nodules. In Lombardy this stage is represented by beds of 
marly limestone alternating or passing into sandstone. 

Tertiary Series. 

' Eocene Formation. 

The Eocene formation is largely developed upon the outer slopes of 
the Alps, and has sometimes been raised to a great height on the K. side 
of the main chain. It naturally forms two groups, which may best be 
noticed separately. 

The nummulitic zone, once in part referred to the Cretaceous formation, 
but now definitively associated with the Tertiary series, of whieh it marks the 
earliest appearance, is usually a grey limestone, abounding in nummulites, but 
sometimes appears as a green sandstone, or as a ferruginous schist, contain- 
ing many large terebratulae and echinidge. The iron is sometimes so abun- 
dant as to be worked, as, for instance, at Kressenberg in Bavaria. 

On the W. side of the Alps, a large patch of this deposit extends from the 
Durance along the E. side of the Pelvoux group, and is said to attain a height 
of nearly 1 1,500 ft. in the Aiguilles d' Arves. It reappears in Savoy, where it 
has been lifted up on the ridge of the secondary rocks so as to form many of 
the highest summits of the outer range. Thus, according to A. Favre, it 
reaches 10,433 feet in the summit of the Fointe de Sail es, and rises to a 
great height on the N. flank of the Dent du Midi. In the range of the 
Diablerets whieh links the Alps of N. Savoy to those of the Canton of Berne 
the same deposits play a still more important part, forming the peaks ot the 
Dent de IMoreles, the Grand Moevran, and probablv also that of the Olden- 
horn (1 0,250' ). They may be trnced along the summit of the range thence 
to the Gemmi, and then along the valley of the Kander to the Lake of 
Thun and the Lake of Lucerne. A parallel band extends to Rosenlaui form- 
ing the passes of the Wengern Alp and the Scheideck. The same band, 
apparently, reappears at Altdorf, mounts through the Schachenthal and 
extends along the range of the Clariden Grat and the Todi to the Baths of 



GEOLOGY OF THE ALPS. 



cxi 



PfafFers, showing itself on the summit of the range at the Kisten pass, 
Panixer pass, and Segnes pass. 

The same deposits are developed very extensively in the Canton of 
Sehwytz, where the rock changes its mineral character, becoming a green 
sandstone, very like the Gault, except from its fossils. They are also seen in 
Appenzell on both flanks of the Sentis, but they do not reappear E. of the 
Rhine until we reach the Styrian Alps, where they are found in several 
places. 

On the S. side of the Alps the nummulitic deposits are largely developed, 
and acquire special interest from their fossil remains, both animal and vege- 
table. The fossil shells of Ronca and Castel Gomberto, the Crustacea and 
echinidse of the neighbourhood of Verona and Schio, and above all the 
fossil fish of Monte Bolca, and the magnificent fossil flora with its palms, and 
monstrous fruit of various Fracastoriae of the same neighbourhood, have 
made us unusually well acquainted with the conditions of life at the period 
when these rocks were deposited. They speak of a shallow sea existing 
along a pre-existing line of coast, and subjected to considerable but not 
violent changes of level, the movement of subsidence being that which pre- 
vailed, and to which we owe the preservation of so many memorials of the 
period. M. de Zigno has pointed out the existence in the Venetian Alps, 
of certain beds of marly limestone interposed between the Scaglia, or Upper 
Chalk, and the nummulitic limestone. These beds contain in their lower 
part, corals and terebratulae of Cretaceous aspect, and in their upper por- 
tion pass into a calcareous grit containing nummulites, and apparently con- 
stitute a link between the two formations, as though in this region the 
succession from the one to the other had proceeded without interruption. 

In the Maritime Alps, and in the adjoining French department of the 
Basses Alpes, where the Oolite and Cretaceous formations are altogether 
wanting, the Eocene beds are found resting on the Lias, 'ihey may be traced 
from near Cuneo along the valley of the Stura to Barcelonette, and from 
that place through the upper valleys of the Verden and the Var. 

Flysch or Macigno. — This is one of the most remarkable of the sedimen- 
tary deposits of the Alps. Though it has no representative in the neighbour- 
ing mountain districts of the Jura., the Vosges, or Bohemia, it is developed 
in the Alps on a great scale, forming masses several thousand feet in thick- 
ness. With the exception of a few localities, no animal remains whatever 
are found in it, and the only organic remains are those of fuci, which are 
sometimes very plentiful. This is the more remarkable, as the deposit 
appears to have been formed slowly and tranquilly, under conditions 
favourable for the development of animal life. 

The usual form of the Flysch is a fine-grained grey shale, of little solidity, 
and disintegr ating rapidly by exposure, forming a soil very favourable to vege- 
tation. Whenever in the Swiss Alps steep cliffs are seen to produce abundant 
vegetation, there is reason to suspect that they are composed of this deposit. 
The base of such cliffs is usually covered by huge piles of debris, which soon 
become covered with herbage. It is to the Flysch that the Gruyere district 
owes the excellence of its pastures. Occasionally the rock becomes harder, 
and is fit for use ;is slate. It is worked for that purpose in Savoy, at the 
Niesen, at Pfeffers, and at Glarus, where these slates are well known for the 
fossil fish which they sometimes contain. Sometimes again the Flysch 



CX11 



INTRODUCTION. 



appears in the form of a dark-green sandstone, mottled with spots of lighter 
colour. This modification is called Gres de Taviglianaz, from a place of that 
name on the way between Bex and Anzeindaz. 

The grit of Rallingen, on the shore of the Lake of Thun, appears to be 
a lacustrine deposit of the age of the Flysch. It contains impressions of 
plants similar to those of Sotzka, in Styria. 

In spite of the apparent differences between this and the underlying 
nummulitic deposits, the fact that they are frequently seen associated 
together in conformable stratification, and that it is not rare to find a 
gradual transition between them, leaves no doubt that they are closely 
connected together. The Flysch being the more easily disintegrated, it less 
often remains upon the exposed summits of the exterior ranges of the Alps, 
where they have often been raised together to a great height. It is in the 
district between the Rhone and the Aar that the Flysch has been most 
largely developed, so much so that M. Studer has distinguished six distinct 
zones, which it is unnecessary to enumerate in this brief sketch. 

Certain phenomena that have been pointed out in that district deserve 
especial notice. 

The point at which the Flysch deposits attain their greatest dimensions is 
in the pyramidal peak of the Niesen, well known to travellers who pass the 
Lake of Thun. The base of the mountain is formed of a black shale, the 
upper part of a peculiar grit called Gres du Niesen. The presence of 
characteristic fuci leaves no doubt but that the whole mass belongs to the 
same deposit. It is very remarkable that, although the mountain rises so 
boldly, nearly from the shore, no trace of the Niesen grit should yet have 
been discovered on the opposite side of the Lake of Thun. 

Near Sepey, in what M. Studer has called the Simmenthal zone of this 
deposit, is a conglomerate composed of angular blocks of protogine, gneiss, 
mica-schist, and quartz confusedly mixed together, and apparently not 
cemented together by the Flysch. 

In the valley of Ilabkeren, on the N. side of the lake of Thun, the Flysch 
contains enormous angular blocks of a granite apparently different from any 
yet found in situ in the Alps. The origin of these blocks has naturally been 
an object of discussion among geologists, but as yet it remains a mystery. 

Miocene Formation. 

Under the name of Molasse this formation, including both marine and 
freshwater deposits, occupies the entire plain of Switzerland between the 
Alps and the Jura. It forms the subsoil of the plateau of Bavaria, and 
extends eastward within a narrower zone to the neighbourhood of Vienna. 
Bending round the E. extremity of the chain, it spreads out near Gratz, 
into a plain that separates the mountains of Waradin from the outer ramifi- 
cations of the Carinthian Alps. With a slightly altered aspect, it reappears 
on the S. side of the Venetian Alps, where its lower beds contain many fossil 
remains, and among others opercularia and true nummulites, on which 
account Massalongo proposed to distinguish these deposits by the name Oligo- 
cene. The existence of Miocene deposits in Lombardy has been suspected 
but not clearly made out. In Piedmont this formation is nowhere seen on 
the slopes of the Alps, but only in the low hills that rise in the centre of the 
valley of the Po, and on the flanks of the Apennine chain. 



GEOLOGY OF THE ALPS. 



CX111 



It is important to note that, with the exception of two or three low valleys 
at the E. extremity of the chain, the Molasse nowhere penetrates into the 
interior, but remains everywhere on the outer margin of the Alps, which it 
nearly encompasses. This arrangement leads to the inference that the Alps 
formed dry land during the Miocene period, while we have direct evidence 
that during the preceding period, while the J ura and central Germany were 
above the sea-level, a great part, if not the whole of the Alps, lay at a depth 
which could not be less than 12,000 ft. below the present level, and probably 
exceeded that amount. It appears that a vast oscillatory movement preceded 
the upheaval which gave to the chain of the Alps its present form. 

Although limited to the outer zone, the Miocene has undergone a great 
amount of disturbance. Its beds are not only twisted, folded, and set on 
end, but in some cases huge masses, forming entire mountains, have been 
turned over so as to have the natural order of superposition reversed. Thus, 
at the Kigi Scheideck we see the Cretaceous and Eocene rocks resting on the 
Miocene conglomerate, and a similar reversal of the natural order is found 
in the Speer, and other mountains lying on the outer margin of the Alps. 

On the northern and western slopes of the Alps no instance has yet been 
observed of a transition from the Eocene to the Miocene ; on the contrary, 
the beds, when both, are present, lie in unconformable stratification. On the 
S. side, in the Venetian, and also in the Styrian Alps, we have evidence of 
the same gradual passage which existed, as we have seen, between the 
Oxfordian and the Cretaceous formation, and between the latter and the 
Tertiary series. 

Pliocene Formation. 

The Pliocene is entirely wanting on the northern and western flanks of 
the Alpine chain, but it has been detected in Lombardy and Piedmont by 
the active geologists who have thoroughly examined the margin of the valley 
of the Po, which during some portion of this period must have formed the 
bed of a shallow sea. The localities of these deposits are Castenedolo near 
Brescia, Nese, NNE. of Bergamo, La Folia d'Induno, near Varese, and 
several points between the Lago Maggiore and Ivrea. Near the latter town, 
M. de Mortillet has found a littoral deposit of rolled pebbles, containing 
masses of lignite arising from the accumulation of floating wood. The same 
geologist attributes the fact that the Pliocene is thus limited to a few 
scattered patches, to the action of denudation upon incoherent deposits, 
incapable of resisting the prolonged action of the elements. 

The beds in question, as well as the coeval deposits near Asti in the valley 
of the Po, are all very nearly horizontal, showing that there has been no 
considerable disturbance of the surface since their deposition. 

I 

Pleistocene Period. 

The geological period which commenced with the establishment of the 
present fauna and flora has by some writers been elevated to the rank of an 
epoch, equivalent to those marked by the commencement of the Secondary 
and Tertiary Series, and therefore styled Quaternary Series, while others of 
high authority have refused to admit its claim to be counted as more than a 
subordinate member of the Pliocene. It seems most convenient to use a. 

g 



cxiv 



INTRODUCTION. 



term which does not prejudice the question in dispute, calling the interval 
since the deposit of the Pliocene, with its proportion of extinct organic 
beintx, bj the name Pleistocene Period. 

The deposits formed during this period are in most districts so insignificant 
in extent that they might be passed over without notice, were it not for the 
special interest that attaches to the history of the operations that progressed 
in the Alps during the interval. 

These operations, whatever they mav have been, have resulted in the 
transport of enormous quantities of solid matter from the inner and higher 
parts of the chain to the lower channel of the main valleys, and to the low 
country surrounding the base of the Alps. This transported matter is of 
three kinds, each of which deserves a brief notice. 

1. The Ancient Alluvium — This is present to a greater or less extent on 
all sides of the Alps, and in the bottoms of most of the great valleys, but is 
mainly developed on the S. side of the chain, and may there be studied to 
the best advantage. To this is referred the masses of rolled stones, com- 
posed of crystalline or harder sedimentary rocks, that at a slight depth 
beneath the surface are seen to spread along the valley of the Po, extending 
to a variable distance from the foot of the mountains, and along the course 
of the wider and deeper valleys. A deposit of similar character, covered only 
by a thin skin of vegetable soil, covers the plain of Friuli, from the Piave 
to the Tsonzo, and, in some places at least, forms beds of considerable depth. 

2. Moraine Deposits. — In a subsequent pa^e the reader will find a brief 
notice of the geological action of glaciers, where the nature of those masses 
of mineral matter which are borne down from the upper regions of the Alps 
to the lower valleys, and are known by the name of moraines, is more fully 
described. At many points in valleys, where from other evidence we know 
that glaciers formerly extended, mounds of transported matter, including 
large angular blocks irregularly dispersed through gravel and fine soil, still 
exist, and at the opening of the great valley on the S. side of the Alps similar 
mounds appear on a great scale, sometimes forming hills of considerable 
height. Those which surround ihe S. side of the Lake of Garda are fully 
35 miles in length, and some of them, as that of Soiferino, are nearly 500 ft. 
in height. These ancient moraines have been carefully studied by excellent 
geologists, such as MM. Studer, Escher, Guyot, Martins, Gastaldi, De 
Mortillet, &c, and their conclusion that these masses are true moraines, 
which must have been deposited in their present position by glaciers that 
once descended to the plain, is now generally accepted by geologists. Im- 
portant consequences have been made to turn upon the question whether 
or not the ancient Alluvium owes its origin to the same operation which 
transferred the great moraines from the upper ridges to the foot of the 
Alps. 

In support of the affirmative opinion, it has been urged that the materials 
of the Alluvium and those of the moraines are identical in composition, the 
main, if not the only^difFerence being that the former have undergone the- 
action of water, while the latter remain in their original position. An inter- 
mediate condition, where the materials of a moraine have been attacked by 
streams and partially stratified, is occasionally seen, ;md has been appealed 
to in evidence. 

Those who affirm the existence of an essential difference between the 



GEOLOGY OF THE ALPS. 



CXV 



Alluvium and the moraine, point out various characters by which it is thought 
that they may be distinguished. The Alluvium is composed of rounded 
blocks of moderate size, never striated, never mixed with earth, and lying 
in a position of stable equilibrium. The whole mass shows more or less 
traces of stratification, and the materials are sorted stones of about the same 
size usually lying together. In the ancient, as in modern moraines, the 
materials are mixed pell-mell; they include angular blocks, with edges little 
or not at all worn, and the smaller stones are often scored and striated. The 
greatest stress is laid upon the fact that the moraines are constantly found 
resting upon the ancient alluvium which must have been deposited in its 
place, and in some degree consolidated before their arrival. 

3. Glacial Silt. — The action of glaciers in pulverising the underlying 
rocks and transporting the materials to a distance in the form of extremely 
fine mud, has been referred to in Art. XIII. (On Glaciers). Accurate 
measures are wanting to show the amount of solid matter thus annually 
transported from the Alps to the lower valleys, to the bottom of lakes, and 
to the sea. Whatever that amount may be, it must have been much greater 
during the period when all the valleys of the Alps were traversed by 
glaciers, and an extent of surface was exposed to the grinding action of those 
glaciers 20 or 30 times as great as the beds of existing ice-streams. A 
large share of this deposit must have been carried into the valley of the Po, 
and when beyond the reach of the ancient Alluvium this must be the 
chief constituent of the subsoil. Researches are yet wanting into the extent 
of the deposit, but they may hereafter throw some light on the history of 
the so-called Glacial Epoch. 



Relations between the Geology and the Orogkaphy of the Alps. 

The aspect of a mountain country is mainly determined by the nature of 
the valleys and depressions of the surface. In considering the causes which 
may have operated in giving its actual form to the chain of the Alps, it is 
desirable to point out that the valleys may be reduced to three types having 

; a very different geological significance, and that the passes, or cols, which 
present a marked break in the continuity of the range also partake of the 
characteristics of some one of these types. 

The three types to which the Valleys of the Alps may be reduced, are 

\ valleys of disruption, valleys of outcrop, and valleys of depression.* 

Valleys of Disruption are evidently produced by rents that have torn asunder 
ranges once continuous. The ordinary character of such a valley is that of 
a narrow defile, enclosed between steep walls of rock, and traversed by a 

| torrent which often leaves little room for a passage. The harder the rocks 
through which it lies, the steeper are the walls. When they are formed of 
soft strata the common causes of destruction act upon them, and the opening 

i is enlarged, but the essential character remains the same. To the eye of the 
geologist, it is always recognisable by the correspondence of the strata on the 
opposite sides of the valley. 

* The French terms uspd by the Author are respectively cluse, combe, and matte. There being 
no exact English equivalents, the Translator contents himself with explaining the Author's mean- 
ing, without attempting to coin new terms to express it. — [Ed.] 

g2 ' 



cxvi 



INTRODUCTION. 



To this type of valley belong most of those famous for the boldness of the 
scenery. Well-known examples are the valley of the Rhone between Ville- 
neuve and Martigny, and that of the Arve between Cluses and Sallenches, 
the valley of the Hinter-Rhein above Coire, including the famous defile of 
the Via Mala, and the middle part of the valley of the Salza. Examples 
are still more numerous on the S. side of the main chain, in the tributary 
valleys of the Po. 

Valleys f disruption are less common amongst the crystalline masses of 
the Alps than in the sedimentary strata. Few instances can be cited in the 
central Alps, save the valley of the Reuss from Fluelen to Andermatt, partly 
traversing stratified, and partly crystalline rocks, the valley of the Tessin, 
lying altogether through the crystalline nucleus of the Tessin Group, and 
the course of the Dora Baltea from Chatillon to St. Martin. The crystalline 
group of the Belledonne in the Western Alps, is cut through by four valleys 
of disruption, those of the Romanche, Arc, Isere, and Doron. It will be 
remarked that of all the crystalline masses of the Alps that of the Belledonne 
is one of the longest and narrowest. 

The numerous cases of clefts which have cut into, without cutting through 
a mountain range, must not be confounded with true valleys of disruption, 
although they sometimes produce very similar effects on the scenery. 

Valleys of Outcrop. — By this not very intelligible name we designate the 
type of valley which is formed parallel to the line of strike of a mountain 
range, either owing to a disruption of continuity, or to denudation which 
has acted extensively upon one deposit, while the under or over-lyin<r strata 
have been comparatively unaffected. Such a valley usually occurs along the 
line of junction between crystalline or other hard rocks, and softer strata. 
The only example, if such it be, of a valley of this description lying al- 
together amidst crystalline rocks is the middle portion of the valley of the 
Adda, between its source and the Lake of Como. Many of the greater 
valleys of the Alps belong to this type, as, for instance, the upper valley of 
the Romanche, a portion of the valley of the Rhone, the valley of the Inn 
from Landeck to Innsbruck, the Pinzgau, and the Gall Thai. The essen- 
tial character of these valleys is their want of symmetry. A traveller pass- 
ing through one of them will constantly find himself proceeding along the 
line of outcrop of some formation, with the older rocks on the one hand, and 
the newer on the other. 

Valleys of Depression. — These valleys, which have far greater geological 
importance than those above described, have been spoken of in the first por- 
tion of this essay, under the name of troughs. They are depressions between 
adjoining crystalline masses, characterised by the synclinal disposition of the 
strata. It not rarely happens, however, that there is great difficulty in 
tracing the original synclinal stratification. These depressions usually give 
evidence of excessive lateral compression, and the strata comprised within 
them have often been set vertically on end, and sometimes reversed in 
position. There is often evidence that the valley has been in great part 
formed by denudation, the less resisting strata having been first disturbed 
and then removed. This process would naturally be intercepted where the 
rocks are more compact, and in this way we have geological troughs, whose 
limits do not coincide with those of the existing valleys. Thus the Urseren : 
that is a valley of depression, but the geological trough which it represents 



GEOLOGY OF THE ALPS. 



CXV11 



is continuous to the E. and W., though the rocks, being here harder, form 
the ridges which are traversed by the Oberalp and Furka passes. 

There are other cases in which there is neither depression nor synclinal 
stratification, but where the presence of fragments of stratified rock between 
adjoining crystalline masses is evidence of what may be called an ideal 
trough, which has for the geologist the same significance* as if the trough 
were a real one. We have examples of this in the metamorphic rocks of 
which considerable fragments are seen in the space between the crystalline 
group of Monte Rosa, and the Yalais Group, and which rise to a great 
height in the Matterhorn and other high peaks of that district. 

It must be admitted that cases sometimes occur where it is difficult to 
classify a valley under any of the types above described. The valley of the 
Rhone .above Martigny is in part a valley of outcrop, but instead of follow- 
ing the course of the softer strata, it cuts at an oblique angle the beds of 
harder rock near the Baths of Saxon. 

The greater number of the passes of the Alps belong, geologically speak- 
ing, to the type of troughs. They correspond to depressions between 
adjoining crystalline masses, which may probably have been reduced in 
height by denudation, as the sedimentary strata which once filled the gap 
have been removed more easily than the adjoining crystalline rocks. Two 
exceptions will occur to Swiss travellers. The passes of the St. Gotthard 
and the Simplon both lie across the axis of a crystalline group. In the first 
case it seems natural to admit that the break in the continuity of the range, 
which is indicated by the pass, is not unconnected with the deep rents that 
traverse the contiguous crystalline masses, and form the valleys of theReuss 
and the Tessin. The Simplon Pass is similarly connected with the valley of 
the Doveria, making a deep rent in the crystalline nucleus, and the pass with 
its approaches may be considered as an imperfect valley of disruption. 

The Lakes of the Alps may, in a similar way, be classified by the character 
of the valleys in which they lie. 

To the first class belong the Lakes of Thun, Como, and Iseo, and the 
Traunsee, Attersee, and Tegernsee in the German Alps. To the second 
class, characterised by the contrasted scenery of their opposite shores, may 
be referred the Lakes of Brienz and Wallenstadt. 

Of the third class it is not easy to cite any well-known example. The 
only instances that occur are some small lakes in the Sends, and the Mond 
See in the Salzkammergut. 

Two other classes of* lakes may be mentioned. Of one of these, which may 
be called Lakes of Erosion, there are examples only on the skirts of the 
Alpine chain. Such are the Sempacher See, the Chiem See, the Wurmsee, 
and probably the Lake of Constance. 

The last class of lakes requiring notice are Moraine Lakes. These are 
lakes near the mouths of certain valleys. They owe their existence solely to 
the waters being retained by the remains of ancient moraines. Several small 
lakes in Piedmont belong to this category, and most of the larger Italian 
lakes probably owe their present form and dimensions to moraines that have 
raised the water above what would otherwise be its natural level. 

Some of the larger lakes of the Alps are formed by the union of several 

* This opinion of the Author is not likely to pass unchallenged by geologists.— [Ed.] 



exvm 



INTRODUCTION. 



distinct valleys belonging to different types. The Lake of Lucerne, for 
instance, lies in a valley of disruption from Fluelen to Brunnen, in a valley 
of depression between Brunnen and Burgen, and in a valley of erosion at 
the end near Lucerne. 

Small lakes, or tarns, such as are seen at the summit of many passes of the 
Alps, lie in mere accidental depressions or undulations of the surface. 

Sketch of a Geological History of the Alpine Regions. 

A complete history of the portions of the earth's surface now occupied by 
the Alps would extend back to a period long antecedent to the existence of 
a mountain chain. Before that period a succession of distinct genera and 
species of animals and vegetables lived and perished on ground that some- 
times remained for ages at the bottom of a deep sea, sometimes was raised 
to about the sea-level, being alternately estuary, or marsh, or freshwater 
lake, and may sometimes have remained at a higher level where the remains 
of organised life are with difficulty preserved. 

In the present brief sketch we shall merely glance at this early phase of 
the history of the Alps, before passing to the period of their final upheaval. 

Period preceding the Upheaval of the Alps. 

Without attempting to penetrate the obscurity that rests over that 
portion of the early history of the earth where no fossil remains have yet 
been found to guide the geologist, it will be sufficient to note the existence 
of evident traces of the earliest fossiliferous formation in the Eastern Alps. 
Elsewhere the Silurian rocks are found in continuous masses, covering a 
wide area, and it is highly improbable that they should have been deposited 
in the Alps only in the few places where they have yet been identified. 
This consideration has led to the conjecture that the metamorphic rocks so 
extensively developed in the central region of the Alps may be, at least in 
part, the representatives of the Silurian formation. In their existing condi- 
tion it is little likely that satisfactory evidence will ever be forthcoming to 
enable us to attribute these metamorphic rocks to their true place in the 
geological scale. In the absence of fossils we have no means of distin- 
guishing them from the older azoic sedimentary rocks. Some geologists 
are inclined to believe that a large portion even of the so-called crystalline 
rocks of the Alps may be merely old stratified rocks in a highly altered 
condition. The only source from which positive evidence is ever likely to 
arise is from the occasional discovery of organised remains. It should be 
generally known to Alpine travellers that the rudest traces of animal or 
vegetable life seen in any of the crystalline or semi-crystalline rocks may be 
of the highest value to geologists, and should, therefore, be carefully 
preserved with a note of the exact position where they iray be found. 

During the incalculable lapse of time occupied by the Silurian and 
Devonian Periods, and the deposition of the Mountain Limestone, we have no 
evidence that the surface whereon the Alps now stand approached or rose 
above the sea-level. The first distinct evidence to that effect presents itself 
when we find that some portions of the Alps, in common with other large 
districts of our continent, produced that abundant vegetation that has been 
preserved in the Coal Measures. We have already seen that these are 
present in many of the interior valleys, especially in the Western Alps. 



GEOLOGY. OF THE ALPS. 



cxix 



However long a time may have been occupied by the deposition of the 
Coal Measures, it was short in comparison with the succeeding period, during 
which the sea probably again covered nearly the entire area. This appears 
to have been the prevailing condition from the date of tbe deposition of the 
upper portion of the Coal Measures to the commencement of the Lias. 
There is reason to believe that the latter epoch was preceded and accom- 
panied by considerable oscillations of level, and that from thence we may 
date the commencement of a continuous barrier of dry land, separating the 
seas that flowed on its north and south .sides.* The labours of the Italian 
geologists, and especially those of M. Stoppani, have brought to light the 
contrast which exists between the earlier rocks, whose fossils on both flanks 
of the chain are identical, and those from the Lias upwards, which through- 
out the remainder of the Secondary Period present marked differences in 
their fossil remains on the opposite side of the Alps. 

That the change of level throughout the Secondary Period was in the main 
one of continuous elevation, is rendered probable by the disposition of the 
strata, which usually succeed each other with tolerable regularity. But it 
is certain that great oscillations of level frequently recurred, and from the 
complete absence of some important deposits in one or other part of the 
chain, we infer the probability that the same tract which at one time 
was raised above the sea-level was subsequently submerged during the 
deposition of a succeeding formation. As illustrations of this conclusion 
we may cite the absence of the Superior Oolite in the Tyrol and Grisons, 
that of the Upper Greensand in the Swiss Alps, and that of the Oolite and 
Cretaceous rocks in South Savoy. 

The commencement of the Eocene Period was marked by considerable 
changes of level, and especially by the depression of the valley of the Stura 
between the Cottian and Maritime Alps. The opening of a strait, com- 
municating between the narrow sea on the N. side of the chain and the 
wide expanse extending at least as far as from the Alps to Africa, led to an 
assimilation of the marine fauna and flora of this period on the opposite 
sides of the chain. 

The Miocene Period was marked by a further depression of the low 
country on either side of the range of the Alps. The plain of Switzerland 
was submerged to a depth which permitted the accumulation of vast masses 
of conglomerate and of Molasse, and at the eastern extremity of the Alps the 
sea reached districts which apparently had not been touched by it since the 
Palaeozoic Epoch, and formed the deposits of Molasse, which we still see in 
the valleys of the Mur and the Drave, in the valley of Lavant, &c. To judge 
from the organic remains of the Miocene Period, the conditions of life were 
not then widely different from those that now obtain in the same region. 
The climate seems to have been slightly warmer, corresponding nearly to 
that of central Italy. 

Epoch of the Final Upheaval of the Alps. 
We have seen that at a remote geological period some portion of the Alps 
was uplifted from the bed of the sea, and that certain small districts may 

* To the same epoch may probably be referred the first formation of the basin of the Valley of 
the Po, caused by the upheaval of a continuous series of crystalline masses, extending in a circular 
arc from the Ligurian Auennine to the group of the Adula— an operation which, as M. Studer has 
pointed out, appears not only in the general form of the mountain masses, but in the direction of 
the stratification in the separate portions of the chain. 



cxx 



INTRODUCTION. 



probably have subsisted since that time as islands, but that the formation of 
a continuous range, capable of forming a barrier between the sea to the N. 
and that on the S. side, probably dates from an early portion of the Secondary 
Series. This suffices to show that it is an error to speak of the upheaval of the 
Alps as if it were a single geological event, accomplished by an agency which 
continued to operate from the time when it commenced to the period of its 
completion. It is nevertheless true that the final period of upheaval, com- 
mencing after the deposition of the Miocene strata, is that which gave to the 
Alpine chain its existing form. Although many of the folds and undulations 
of the surface appear to date from this recent period, there is reason to think 
that the main features of the physiognomy of the Alps were already defined, 
and that the chief change was to increase very much the mean height of the 
entire chain. In the Rigi, and other exterior mountains of Northern Switzer- 
land, we find the Miocene rocks raised to a height of nearly 6,000 English 
feet above the sea-level; so that we are led to infer that the amount of up- 
heaval in this latest period nearly equalled the combined effects of all the 
antecedent periods of elevation. 

Considering the extent and importance of the changes effected in recent 
times, and the copious evidence of them that is forthcoming in most parts of 
the Alps, it is not surprising that geologists have given more attention to 
this than to the earlier oscillations of level, and have sometimes spoken of 
the final, or Post Miocene, upheaval, as if it were, in an exclusive sense, the 
period of upheaval of the Alpine chain. To this period seems especially to 
belong the fissures, which are seen to traverse all the formations, from the 
most ancient to the most recent — sometimes forming valleys of disruption, 
sometimes lesser indentations in the chain, and which may without difficulty 
be distinguished from the mere action of streams that have, not unfrequently, 
deepened the channel of a pre-existing fissure. 

It is clear that a series of changes, which included the rupture of mountain 
masses and disturbances of stratification, that led to the actual reversal of the 
natural position of the beds, could not have been accomplished without a 
corresponding disturbance of the conditions of animal and vegetable life. It 
was natural that the theory which affirmed a connection between the up- 
heaval of mountain chains and the transition between the fauna and flora of 
successive geological epochs, should seek a confirmation of that conclusion in 
the Alpine region, whose elevation has had so vast an influence on the destiny 
of our continent. 

If the organised creation was not entirely destroyed by so great a cata- 
strophe, it is at least certain that in the centre and north of Europe it was 
connected with very great changes in the relative distributions of land and 
sea, and with that general emersion of a large portion of our continent, both 
north and south of the Alps, that marked the passage from the Tertiary to 
the present period. These changes of themselves imply the destruction or 
displacement of vast numbers of species, and the substitution of others in their 
place. 

The study of all the phenomena connected with the upheaval of the Alps 
on the north side of the main chain, led geologists to establish with great 
certainty two conclusions. First, the extensive disturbance of the Miocene 
strata, seen to rest conformably on the older Tertiary rocks, proved that the 
upheaval commenced after the deposition of the Miocene. Secondly, the 



GEOLOGY OF THE ALPS. 



cxxi 



close conformity of the channels of the ancient glaciers with the existing 
form, and the relative level of the surface, show that the period of dis- 
turbance must have ceased before the Glacial Period. But during the long 
interval between these two geological dates, occupied elsewhere by the 
deposition of the whole mass of the Pliocene strata, there was nothing to 
fix the epoch of upheaval. 

The Pliocene formation, as we have already seen, has not been traced on 
the north side of the Alps, but has lately been recognised at the southern 
base of the chain in a few isolated stations. Had the formation been more 
fully developed, if it were possible to compare the stratification with that of 
the older Miocene deposits, we should be able safely to conclude whether the 
upheaval had preceded or followed its deposition. The negative evidence, 
which as yet is all that is forthcoming, points to the former inference ; but 
this does not justify any positive decision. 

It is well known that the greater part of the Apennines have been up- 
raised since the deposition of the Pliocene, whose beds are often seen tilted 
up at a high angle. For the present it must remain uncertain whether the 
last great upheaval of the Alps, and the elevation of the Apennines, were 
not contemporary events. 

Glacial Period. 

As we have already seen, the relative level of the different portions of the 
Alpine chain has undergone no considerable change since the close of the 
Tertiary Period. Events not less interesting and important have occupied 
this latest portion of the history of the Alps, which is marked by the extra- 
ordinary extension of the glaciers. 

It is impossible here to enter into any detail of the evidence upon which 
the present conclusions of geologists have been based, and still less to refer 
to the prolonged discussions to which at every step they were subjected — 
discussions which ultimately served to establish the new theory upon fuller 
enquiry, and more decisive proof, than if it had been more easily accepted. 

In the brief description which has been given (Art. XIII.) of the pheno- 
mena of existing glaciers, it has been shown that amongst other operations 
they transport large quantities of mineral matter from the upper ridges of 
the Alps to the lower valleys ; that this transported matter consists in part 
of large blocks, partly of smaller stones and gravel. It was seen that a 
portion of these blocks are stranded upon the bank of the glacier, while 
others are carried down to its lower end, where, if the shape of the ground 
be favourable, and the glacier remain long enough stationary, they enter pell- 
mell, along with the rest of the transported materials, into the formation of 
a terminal moraine. Again, it was seen that by the passage of a glacier, 
the bottom and sides of the valley are subjected to a peculiar process of 
smoothing and polishing, that leaves its tokens permanently impressed on 
the general form of the rocks, and on the condition of their surface. 

Finally, it appeared that the pressure of the glacier against the bottom 
and sides of the valley reduces the rocks and gravel that find their way to the 
bottom partly to fine mud, and partly to flattened pebbles, scored by the 
friction they have encountered in the rocky bed of the glacier. 

It was long known that blocks of stone, sometimes of great dimensions, 
and composed of rock utterly different from that of the district in which 



cxxii 



INTRODUCTION. 



they are found, are scattered through the lower parts of the main valleys of 
the Alps, and over the low country at their base. Such blocks, with their 
edges still fresh, and without trace of violent transport, are seen resting on 
steep slopes. Further enquiry showed that in the places where these blocks 
were deposited, the rock in situ is often rounded and grooved — nay, even, 
that when hard enough, it has preserved the finer striae and polish which we 
see under the beds of existing glaciers. One after another the moraines, 
the glacial mud, and the scored pebbles, were discovered at vast distances 
from the present limits of the glaciers, but associated with the distribution 
of the erratic blocks, and these appearances were shown not to be confined 
to the Alps, but to be equally distinct in other mountain districts, as, for 
instance, in our own islands, during the same recent geological period. 

Sustained by able and zealous supporters, foremost amongst whom must 
be reckoned the late M. Charpentier, the theory which accounted for the 
dispersion of the erratic blocks by the agency of extinct glaciers, encoun- 
tered much opposition. It has perhaps suffered more from the exaggerations 
of some of its supporters than from the criticism of its opponents. At 
present the original controversy is nearly set at rest. The absolute identity 
of the operations of existing glaciers with the facts traceable throughout 
the Alps, and other mountain countries, has overcome the reluctance of 
many eminent geologists to admit the new theory, and the former extension 
of glaciers over a wide area in the Alps, and elsewhere, is now one of the 
admitted data of geological science. 

The evidence is in some respects more complete and convincing on the 
southern than on the northern side of the Alps ; and it is probable that if 
the phenomena had been sooner studied in that region, the period of resist- 
ance to the new theory would have been abridged. It has been fully proved 
that nearly all the secondary valleys that open into the valley of the Po 
were traversed by great glaciers which extended down as far as the opening 
of the valley, and in some instances were protruded into the plain. The 
greatest of these was the glacier of the Adige, which filled the basin now 
occupied by the Lake of Garda, and after a course of about 170 miles, left 
in the plain S. of the lake a series of terminal moraines, extending in an 
arc 35 miles in length, and in some places attaining a height of fully 500 feet. 

On the north side of the Alps the area occupied by the ancient glaciers 
was even more extensive. The glacier of the Rhone, with a vast number of 
affluents poured into it from the tributary valleys of the Pennine and 
Bernese Alps, not only filled the basin of the Lake of Geneva, but covered 
a great portion of the plain of Switzerland, and reached to a considerable 
height on the flanks of the Jura. 

A map showing the distribution of the erratic blocks in Switzerland has 
been published by M. Escher von der Linth ; a similar map, including the 
Alps of Lombardy and a part of Piedmont, accompanies a memoir by M. 
Omboni in the 2nd volume of 'Atti della Societa Italiana di Scienze XaturahV 

In the 3rd volume of the Acts of the same society, M. G. de Mortillet has 
published a more complete map of the ancient glaciers of the Italian side of 
the Alps, with an interesting memoir, in which he discusses at length various 
questions to which in this brief essay it is impossible to do justice. The 
latest speculations upon the part played by glaciers in the past history of 
the Alps lead to conclusions that have not as yet gained the general agree- 



GEOLOGY OF THE ALPS. 



CXX111 



ment of geologists. M. de Mortillet, M. Gastaldi, and other distinguished 
Italian geologists, hold that during the period preceding the utmost exten- 
sion of the glaciers, the Italian lakes were filled with the waterworn materials 
that constitute the so-called ancient alluvium, and that the cavities so filled 
were scooped out by the action of the glaciers when they descended into the 
lake-basins. Other theorists, and amongst them an eminent English geolo- 
gist, Mr. Ramsay, have gone farther still, and have sought to prove that the 
ancient glaciers were competent not only to clear out the bed of a lake, 
supposing it filled with alluvium, but to excavate the rock- basin itself. 
When we recollect the depth of the Italian lakes, which vary from 900 feet 
in the Lake of Lugano, to over 2,600 feet in the Lago Maggiore, we feel 
that more cogent evidence than any yet produced is required before we can 
admit the probability of even the more moderate of these hypotheses. The 
subject is interesting from its novelty as well as its geological importance ; 
but, pending its further discussion, we concur in the objections to the new 
theories urged by Mr. Ball in an article in the 1 Philosophical Magazine ' for 
February, 1863, and we continue to regard the extension of the so-called 
ancient alluvium as one of the series of phenomena which accompanied the 
former extension of the glaciers. On somewhat similar grounds we must 
refuse our adhesion to the supposed operation of glaciers in the excavation 
of the valleys of the Alps, while we admit the probability that the action of 
ice has had a large share in modifying, along with other agents, the details, 
and shaping the minuter features, of the surface of the Alpine valleys. 

Notwithstanding the labour that has been bestowed by geologists upon 
the study of the glacial period in the Alps, there remain many branches of 
enquiry which are far from being exhausted. One of these relates to the 
probable oscillations in the extent of the glaciers. The great moraines which 
are so remarkable on the S. side of the Alps prove that the glaciers 
must have remained for a long period at or about the limit which they indi- 
cate, and that that limit has not since been surpassed, but this does not 
imply that at an earlier date the great ice-streams may not have flowed far- 
ther into the plain, without remaining long enough to leave such moraines 
as would survive to the present period. One of the difficulties found in 
studying the glacial phenomena in that region arises from the fact that 
during the period of the retirement of the glaciers, and since that time, the 
materials of the ancient moraines have been constantly attacked by torrents, 
sometimes transported to a distance, and partially stratified. The region of 
ancient moraines along the southern base of the Lombard Alps is extremely 
interesting from its diversified scenery, and the small lakes formed by the 
mounds of moraine matter add much to its beauty ; but laborious and 
patient study is necessary for those who would unravel the phenomena. 

Another branch of enquiry connected with the same subject regards the 
effects of the glacial period in the Alps upon animal and vegetable life. It 
is probable that at the period of the utmost extension of the glaciers, life had 
ceased to manifest itself, and that the present fauna and flora began to appear 
on the flanks of the chain, only as the glaciers retired to the upper valleys. 

Among the mammalia whose remains belong to that period are a few now 
extinct species. There is nothing to show that the new inhabitants appeared 
simultaneously, but some reason to hold the contrary opinion. The fish, 
insects, and mollusca, that inhabit the Alpine lakes could have made their 



cxxiv 



IXTRODUCTION. 



appearance only after these were clear of ice, a period which must be sepa- 
rated by a long interval from the commencement of the retirement of the 
glaciers. Amongst the latter species are several that are peculiar to these 
lakes ; and those who are averse to admit the theory of special creation have 
not yet satisfactorily accounted for the appearance of these animals within 
so recent a period. 

On the questions concerning the antiquity of man, which now so much 
interest geologists, the glacial deposits of the Alps have hitherto been silent, 
and there is nothing to show whether the earliest human inhabitants may have 
witnessed the presence of great glaciers in the lower valleys of the Alps. 



Authorities to be consulted on the Geology or the Alps. 

Readers who may wish for fuller information respecting Alpine geology 
will find much matter of a general character in the works of Saussure, 
Schlairintweit, Forbes, Agassiz, and Desor, already enumerated in Art. XIII. 
The following list includes most of the more important works and memoirs on 
the subject, recently published, along with a few of earlier date, and a notice 
of the geological maps most useful to the student. 



General Works and Maps. 

Bach (H.) Geologische Karte von Central 
Europa, 1859. 

Cotta (B.) Die Alnen, 1851. 

Ebel— Ueber den Ban der Erde in den Alpen-Ge- 
birgen, 1808. 

Murchison (Sir R. J.) On the Geological Struc- 
ture of the Alps, the Apennines, and the 
Carpathians, &c. ' Quart. Journal Geol. 
Soc. of London,' vol. v. p. 187. 

Same Work, translated into Italian, with 
an appendix on the Geo'ogv of Tuseanv.by 
P. Savi and G. Meneghini, Florence, '.851. 

Studer (B.) Geologische XJebersichtskarte des 
Alpensystems, 1851. 



Western and Central Alps. 

Brunner (C.) Apercu Geologique des Environs 
de Lugano. ' Nouv. Mem. Soc. Helv.' vol. 
xii. 1852. 

Charpentier (J. de) Essai sur les Glaciers, et 

sur le Terrain Erratique du Bassin du 

Rhdne, 1841. 
Collegno — S r les Terrains Stratifies des Alpes 

Lombardes. 1 Bull. Soc. Geol. de France,' 

2e serie. vol. i. 
Dausse — Sur la Forme et la Constitution de la 

Chalnedes Rou^se*, en Ois ins. 'Mem. Soc. 

G£ol. de France,' vol. ii. p. 125. 
Esch v. d. Linth (A.) Ueber Contact-Verhalt- 

nisse. ' Xouv. Mm. Soc. Helv.' vol. iii. 1839, 
Fournet — Recherches sur la Geologie de la 

P rtie des Alpes comprises entre le Valais 

etl'Oisans. 4 Ann. Soc. d'Agric. de Lyon,' 

1845. 

Gras (S.) Sur la Constitution Geologique du 
Terrain Anthra' ifere Alpin, &c. ■ Bull. Soc. 
Geol. de France,' 2e 6erie, vol. xii. 



Lory (C.) Description Geologique de Dauphin^, 

I860. 

(The same author has published several 
valuable memoirs.) 
Mortillet (G. de) Geologie et Mineralogie de la 
Savoie, 1858. 

. ■■ Terrains du Versant Italien des 

Alpes. ' Bull. Soc. G£ol. de 
France,' 2e se>ie, vol. xviii. 

Sur la Carte des Anciens 

Glaciers du Versant Italien 
des Alpes. ' Atti Soc. Ical. Sc. 
Na&' vol. iii. 
(Cited amongst many other memoirs by 
the same author.) 
Omboni (G.) Serie des Terrains Sedimentaires 
de la Lombar<1ie. ' Bull. Soc. Geol. de 
France,' 2e s£rie, vol. xii. 

(With several other memoirs.) 
Rozet — Memoire Geologique sur les Alpea 
Franchises. 1 Bull. Soc. G£oL de France,' 
2e se>ie, vol. xii. 
Riitimeyer (L.; Ueber das Schweizerische Num- 
m'.ilitenterrain. ' Nouv. Mem. Soc. Helv.' 
vol. xi. 1850. 
Sismonda (A.) (Among the numerous memoirs 
of the learned authrr, the follow- 
ing, all taken from the 2nd series 
of the 4 Memoirs of the Royal 
Academy of Turin,' maybe cited.) 

. Osservazioni Mineralogiche e Geolo- 

giche,: er servire alia Carta Geolo- 
gica del Piemonte, vol. ii. 1840. 

Sui Terreni Stratificati delle Alpi, 

vol. iii. 1841. 

Osservazioni Gpologiche sulle Alpi 

.Maritime, vol. iv. 1842. 
Notizie e Schiarimenti sulla Co- 
stituzione delle Alpi del Piemonte, 
vol. ix. 1847. 



BOOKS. 



CXXV 



Sismonda (A.) Classificazione Hei Terreni Stra- 
tificati delle Alpi, vol. xii. 1852. 
Stoppani (A.) Studii Geologichi e Paleontolo- 

gichi sulla Lombardia, 1857. 
Studer (B.) Geologie d^r Schweiz, 1853. 

( A large number ot valuable memoirs by 
the same author deserve to be enumerated, 
since nothing that he has published is un- 
important.) 



Carta Geologica di Savoja, Piemonte, e Liguria. 

A. Sismonda, 1863. 
Carte Geologique de la France, par Dufrenoy et 

E. de Beaumont, 1841. 
Carte Geologique des Parties de la Savoie, &e, 

voisines du Mont Blanc, par A. Favre, 1862. 
Carte Geologique de la Suisse, par B Studer et 

A. Escher, 1853. 
Geologische Uebersichtskarte der Schictenge- 

birge der Lombardei. V. Hauer, 1858. 



Eastern Alps. 
Buch (L. v.) Geologische Beobachtungen auf 

Reisen, 1802. 
Emmerich — Ueber den Alpen-Kalk. • Zeitsch. 

Deutsch. Geol. Ges.' vol. i. 

— — — i Uebersicht iiber die Geognostischen 

Verhaltnisse Sud-Tyrols, 1846. 



Fuchs — Die Venefianischen Alpen, 1844. 
Giimbel — Geologie des Konigreichs Bayern, 
1861. 

Haidinger — Naturwissenschaftliche Abhand- 

lungen. (Various.) 
Hauer (v.) Ueber die Gliederung des Alpen- 

Kalkes in den Oestlichen Alpen. ' Neu. 

Jahrb. ' 1850. 
Klipstein (V.) Beitragezur Geologische Kennt- 

niss der Oestlichen Aipeu, 1843. 
Richthofen (V.) Die Kalkalpen von Vorarlberg 

und Nord Tyrol. 'Jahrb. der kk. Reichsanst.,' 

vol. x. 

Schafhautl — Beitragezur Kenntnissder Bayern 

Voralpen, 1854. 
Sedgwick and Murchison — On the Geology of 

the Eastern Alps. ' Trans. Geol. Soc. 

Lond.' 2nu series, vol. iii. 1832. 
Sonklar (K. v.) Die Oetzthaler Gebirgsgruppe, 

mit besonderer Riichsicht aut" Orographic 

und Gietscherkunde, i vol. and Atlas, Gotha, 

1860. 



Geognostische-Karte Tirols, 1849. In 10 sheets, 
published by the Montanistischer Verein. 

Geologischer Atlas der Oesterreichischer Mo- 
narchie. Published by the Reichsanstalt. 

Giimbel — Geognoscische-Karte des Konigreichs 
Bayern. 

Morlot — Uebersichtskarte der Nordostlichen 
Alpen, 1847. 



Works relating to the Alps. 

The following works are suggested as likely to interest various classes of 
readers, either as narratives of travel and adventure, or as illustrative of 
the natural phenomena of the Alps, or as useful works of reference :— 

Agassiz (L.) Etudes sur les Glaciers, 1 vol. and atlas, Neuchatel, 1840. 

Systeme Glaciaire, ou Nouvelles Etudes et Experiences sur les 

Glaciers Actuels, 1 vol. and atlas, Victor Masson, Paris, 1847. 
Albert (Aristide) Essai deseriptif, L'Oisans, 1 vol. Maisonville, Grenoble, 1854. 
Alpine Club — Peaks, Passes, and Glaciers, 1st series, 1 vol. Longman & Co. 1859. 

- - — - Traveller's edition, 1 vol. 1860. 

2nd series, 2 vols. Longman & Co. 1862. 

The Alpine Journal (Quarterly), edited by H. B. George, M.A. 

Nos. 1 and 2 (March and June). Longman & Co. 1863. 
Anderson (E.) Chamouni and Mont Blanc, 8vo. London, 1856. 
Atkins (H. M.) Ascent of Mont Blanc, 8vo. London, 1838 (not published). 
Aubert (E.) La Vallee d'Aoste, 4to. Paris, 1860. 

Auldjo (J.) Narrative of an Ascent to the Summit of Mont Blanc on the 8th 

and 9th August, 1827, 1 vol. Longman & Co. 1828. 
3rd edition, 1 vol. (Travellers Library) Longman & Co. 1856 



Baedeker (K.) Siid-Bayern, Tirol und Salzburg, Ober-Italien ; Handbuch fur 
Reisende, 8th edition, Coblentz, 1860. 



cxxvi 



INTRODUCTION. 



Baedeker (K.) Die Sehweiz, die Italienischen Seen, Mailand, Turin, Genua, 
Nizza; Handbuch fur Reisende, 9th edition. 1862. 

1 Ditto (English edition), 1863. 

Baines (E.) A Visit to the Vaudois of Piedmont, 1 vol. (Traveller's Library) 

Longman & Co. 1855 
Bakewell (R.) Travels in the Tarentaise, &c., in the Years 1820, 1821, 1822, 

2 vols. Longman & Co. 1823. 
Barnard (G.) Views in Switzerland, fol. London, 1843. 
Barry (M.) Ascent of Mout Blanc, 8vo. Edinburgh, 1836. 

Beattie — Switzerland, illustrated by W. H. Bartlett, 2 vols. Virtue & Co. London, 

1836. 

The Waldenses, or Protestant Valleys of Piedmont, Dauphine, &c, illus- 
trated by Brockedon, Bartlett. Stanfield, and Harding, 1 vol. 
Virtue & Co. London, 1838. 
Beaumont (Elie de) Eaits pour servir a l'Histoire des Montagnes de l'Oisans. 

* Annales des Mines,' 3me serie, tome v. Ire livraison, Paris, 1834. 
Beaumont (Jean Francois Albanis de) Voyage pittoresque aux Alpes Pennines, 
fol., col. pi , Geneva, 1787. 

Travels through the Rhaetian Alps, London, 1792. 

Travels through the Maritime Alps, London, 1795. 

Travels through the Lepontine Alps. London, 1800. 

Description des Alpes Grecques et Cottiennes, Ire 

partie, 2 vols. Paris, 1802. 

2me partie, 2 vols. Paris, 1806. 

Berlepsch (H. A.) The Alps ; or Sketches of Life and Nature in the Mountains. 

Translated by the Rev. L. Stephen, 1 vol. Longman & Co. 
1861. 

• Die Alpen in Natur- und Lebensbildern dargestellt, 1 vol. 

Costenoble, Leipzig, 1861. 
1 vol. (Traveller's 

edition) 1862. 

Schweizer-Kunde, Land und Volk, lte Abtheilung, Schwet- 

schke u. Sohn, Braunschweig, 1859. 
Berlepsch (H.) Neuestes Reisehandbuch fiir die Schweiz, 1 vol. Hildburghausen, 
1862. 

Berthont van Berchem— Itineraire de la Vallee de Chamouny, d'une partie du Bas 

Valais, &c. 8vo. Lausanne, 1790. 
Boner (C.) Chamois Hunting in the Mountains of Bavaria and in the Tyrol, 1 vol. 

new edition, Chapman & Hall. 1860. 
Bourrit (M. H.) Description des Aspects du Mont Blanc, &c, 12mo. Lausanne, 
1776. 

Description des Glacieres et Amas de Giace du Duche de Savoye, 

12mo. Geneve, 1773. 
■ (English translation) A Relation of a Journey to the Glaciers 

in the Dutchy of Savoy, 2nd edition, 1 vol. G. Robinson, 

London, 1776. 

Nouvelle Description des Glacieres. des Vallees de Glace, et des Hautes 

Montagnes . . . des Alpes Pennines et Rhetiennes, nouvelle edition,. 
3 vols. l2mo. Geneve. 1785. 

Bravais (A.) Le Mont Blanc, ou Description de la Vue et des Phenomenes du 
Sommet. Bertrand, Paris. 

Brockedon (W.) Illustrations of the Passes of the Alps, 2 vols. London, 1828. 

Journals of Excursions in the Alps, 1 vol. J. Duncan, 1843. 

Browne (J. D. H.) Ten Scenes in the Ascent of Mont Blanc, fol. London, 18o3. 



BOOKS. 



CXXV11 



Carlini, Plana, &c. — Operations Geodesiques et Astronomiques pour la mesure 
d'un arc du parallele moyen, executees en Piemont et en Savoie par une 
commission composee d'officiers de l'Etat Major General et d'Astronomes 
Piemontais et Aatrichiens en 1821-2-3, 2 vols, and atlas, Milan, 1825. 

Carrel (LeChanoine G.) Les Alpes Pennines dans un Jour ; soit Panorama boreal 
de la Becca di Nona, Lyboz, Aoste, 1855, 1 vol. 

Alpes Graies, Chaine de la Grivola vue de la Becca di 

Nona, 2me edition, 1 vol. Aoste, 1860. 

Charnock (R. S.) Guide to the Tyrol, Styria, Carinthia, and Salzkammergut, 
Adams, London, 1857. 

Charpentier (Jean de) Essai sur les Glaciers et sur le Terrain erratique du Bas- 
sin du Rhone, 1 vol. Ducloux, Lausanne, 1841. 

Clissold (F.) Narrative of an Ascent to the Summit of Mont Blanc, London, 1823. 

Cole (Mrs.) A Lady's Tour round Monte Rosa, &c. 1 vol. Longman & Co. 1859. 

Coleman (E.T.) Scenes from the Snowfields, being illustrations from the upper 
ice-world of Mont Blanc, 1 vol. Longman & Co. 1859, 

Coraboeuf — Notice sur une Mesure Geometrique de la hauteur au dessus de la 
mer de quelques sommites des Alpes. Recueil de voyages et de memoires 
publie par la Societe de Geographie de Paris, tome 2, Paris, 1855. 

Cotta (Bernard) Die Alpen, 2te Ausgabe, Weigel Leipzig, 1851, 1 vol. 

Cowell (J. J.) The Graian Alps and Mont Iseran, in Gaiton's ' Vacation Tourists ' 
of 1860, Macmillan, 1861. 

Cramer — Dissertation on the Passage of Hannibal over the Alps, 1 vol.Oxford,1820. 

Decandolle (Alphouse) Hypsometrie des Environs de Geneve dans un espace de 
25 lieux autour de la ville. ' Mem. de la Soc. de Geneve,' viii. 2me partie, 1839- 
Deluc (Jean- Andre) Recherches sur les Modifications de 1' Atmosphere, 2 vols. 
4to. Geneve, 1772. 

Geological Travels, 3 vols. 8vo. London, 1811. 

Histoire du Passage des Alpes par Annibal, 2me edition, 

1 vol. Paschard, Geneve, 1825. 
Desor (E.) Excursions et Sejours dans les Glaciers etles Hautes Regions des Alpes 
de M. Agassiz et de ses compagnons de voyage, Neuchatel et Paris, 
1844. 

Nouvelles Excursions, do., do., Neuchatel, 1845. 

Durheim (C. J. ) Sammlung trigometrischer und barometrisch-bestimmter abso- 
luter Hohen der Schweiz, 1 vol. Bern, 1850. 

Ebel (J. G.) Manuel da Voyageur en Suisse, 2nd edition, 4 vols. 8vo. Zurich, 1810. 

Ueber den Bau der Erde in den Alpen-Gebirgen . . . mit geognos- 

tischen Karten, 2 vols. 8vo. and 4to. atlas of pi. Zurich, 1808. 

Voyage pittoresque dans le Canton des Grisons . . . avec 32 vues et 

une carte routiere, par J. J. Meyer, 8vo. Zurich, 1827. 
Ellis (R.) Treatise on Hannibal's Passage of the Alps, in which his route is traced 
over the Little Mount Cenis, 1 vol. 1853. 

Observations on Mr. Law's criticism of the above work. * Journal of 

Classical and Sacred Philology,' No. VI. 

Further Observations in reply to Mr. Law, do., do., No. VII. 

Engelhardt (C. M.) Naturschilderungen aus den hochsten Schweizer- Alpen, 1 vol. 

with atlas, Basel, 1840. 
Excursion au Mont Blanc, 1 vol. 2me edition, Geneve et Bale, Georg, 1860. 

Fellowes (Charles) Ascent of Mont Blanc, 4to. London, 1827. 
Forbes (Sir J.) A Physician's Holiday ; or a Month in Switzerland in the Summer 
of 1848, 1 vol. 3rd edition, Orr & Co. London, 1852. 



cxxviii 



INTRODUCTION. 



Forbes (J. D.) Travels through the Alps of Savoy and other Parts of the Pen- 
nine Chain, with Observations on the Phenomena of Glaciers, 
1 vol. 1st edition, A. & C. Black, Edinburgh, 1843 ; 2nd do. 
A. & C. Black, Edinburgh, 1845. 

Forbes (J. D.) The Tour of Mont Blanc and Monte Rosa (abridged from 
the larger work) 1 vol. A. & C. Black, Edinburgh, 1855. 

Journals of Excursions in the High Alps of Dauphine, Berne, and 

Savoy ; appended to * Norway and its Glaciers,' 1 vol. 
A. & C. Black, 1853. 

Remarks upon the Rev. H. Moseley's Theory of the Descent of 

Glaciers. ' Philosophical Magazine,' vol. x. 4th series, 1855. 

Occasional Papers on the Theory of Glaciers, 1 vol. A. & C. 

Black, Edinburgh, L859. 

Francesetti (L. Comte de Mezzenile) Lettres sur les Vallees de Lanzo, 1 vol. 
Chirio & Mina, Turin, 1823. 

Freshfield (Mrs. H.) Alpine Byways, 1 vol. Longman, 1861. 

A Summer Tour in the Grisons and Italian Valleys of 

the Bernina, 1 vol. Longman & Co. 1862. 

Frobel (Julius) Reise in die weniger bekannten Thaler auf der Nordseite der 
Penninischen Alpen, 1 vol. Reimer, Berlin, 1840. 

Gnifetti (Paroco d'Alagna) Nozioni Topografiche del Monte Rosa e Ascensioni 

su di esso, 1 vol. seconda edizione, Crotti, Novara, 1858. 
Godeffroy (Ch.) Notice sur les Glaciers, les Moraines, et les Blocs erratiques des 

Alpes, 1 vol. Cherbuliez, Paris, 1840. 
Griiner — Die Eisgebirge des Schweizerlandes, 3 vols. Bern, 1760. 
Giimbel (C. W.) Geognostische Beschreibung des Bayerischen Alpengebirges 

und seines Vorlands, 1 vol. with atlas, Perthes, Gotha, 1862. 

Illustrirter Alpen-Fiihrer (200 illustrations) 1 vol. Weber, Leipzig, 1854. 
Inglis (H. D.) The Tyrol, with a Glance at Bavaria, 1 vol. Whittaker,, London, 
1833. 

Hamel (J. von) Beschreibung zweyer Reisen auf den Mont Blanc, unternommen 

in August 1820. 8vo. Wien, 1821. 
Hawkins (F. V.) Partial Ascent of the Matterhorn, in Galton's * Vacation 

Tourists' of 1860, Macmillan, 1861. 
Heer und Blumer— Der Kanton Glarus, Ebendas, 1846 (mit der Gebirgskunde 

von Arnold Escher). 
Hegetschweiler (J.) Reisen in den Gebirgstock zwischen Glarus und Graubiinden, 

1819-20-22, 1 vol. Orell Fussli & Co. Zurich, 1825. 
Hinchliff (T. W.) Summer Months amongst, the Alps, 1 vol. Longman, 1857. 
Hirzel-Escher— Wanderungen in weniger besuchte Alpengegenden der Schweiz 

und ihrer nachsten Umgebungen, 1 vol. Orell, Fussli & Co. Zurich, 1829. 
Hogard (H.) et Dollfuss- Ausset — Materiaux pour servir a 1 'Etude des Glaciers. 

Principaux Glaciers de la Suisse imprimes en lavis aquarelle. Letter-press in 

8vo. with fol. atlas of 16 pi. Simon, Strasburg, 1854. 
Hopkins (William) On the Motion of Glaciers, first Memoir, ' Transactions of the 
Cambridge Philosophical Society,' vol. viii. Cambridge, 
1844. 

Do. second Memoir, do. 

Hudson (Rev. C.) & Kennedy (E. S.) — Where there's a Will there's a Way ; an 
Ascent of Mont Blanc without Guides, 1st edition, 1 vol. Longman & Co. 1856. 

Do. ; with two Ascents of Monte Rosa, 2nd 

edition, Longman & Co. 1856. 
Hugi (J. J.) Naturhistorische Alpenreise, 1 vol. Amiet Lutiger, Solothurn, 1830. 



BOOKS. 



cxxix 



Joanne (Adolphe) Itineraire Descriptif et Historique de la Suisse, da Jura 
Frangais, du Mont Blanc, et du Mont Rose, 3 me 
edition, Hachette, Paris. 

Da de la Savoie, 1 vol. Hachette, Paris. 

Do. du Dauphine, Ire partie (Tsere) Hachette, Paris, 1862. 

Do. do. 2me partie (Drome et Hautes Alpes), 

Hachette, Paris, 1863. 

Do. de l'Allemagne du Sud, 1 vol. Hachette, Paris. 

Kasthofer — Bemerkungen auf einer Alpenreise iiber den Susten, Gotthard, Ber- 

nardin, und Aarau, 1822. 
King (Rev. S. W.) The Italian Valleys of the Pennine Alps, 1 vol. Murray, 1858. 
Kohl (J. G.) Naturansichten aus den Alpen, 2te Auflage, 1 vol. Leipzig, 1862. 
Kiirsinger (J. von) und. Spitaler (Dr. F.) Der Gross- Venediger ; seine erste 

Ersteigung^ 1841, und sein Gletscher, 1 vol. Wagner, Innsbruck, 1843. 

Ladoucette (J. C. F.) Histoire, Topographie, Antiquites, Usages, et Dialectes des 

Hautes Alpes ; avec atlas et notes, 2 vols. Gide, Paris, 1848. 
Latrobe (C. S.) The Alpenstock ; or Sketches of Swiss Scenery and Manners, 
1 vol. 2nd edition, London, 1839. 

The Pedestrian ; a Summer's Ramble in the Tyrol and some of 

the adjacent Provinces, 1830, 1 vol. London, 1832. 
Law (Wm. John) A Criticism on Mr. Ellis's New Theory concerning the Route 
of Hannibal, with some Remarks on the Hypothesis of 
M. Replat, Upham & Beet, 1855. 

Reply to Mr. Ellis's Observations on the above, Upham & 

Beet, 1856. 

Further Reply to Mr. Ellis, Upham & Beet, 1856. 

Lebert (Prof. Dr. H.) Das Engadin, seine Heilquellen, seine Natur, und seine 

Bewohner, 1 vol. Korn, Breslau, 1861. 
Lechner (Ernst) Piz Lan guard und die Bernina-Gruppe bei Pontresina, Oberen- 

gadin, 1 vol. Engeimann, Leipzig, 1858. 
Leonhardi (G.) Das Poschiavino Thai, 1 vol. Engelmann, Leipzig, 1859. 
Lory — Voyage pittoresque de PGberland Bernois, fol.,30 col. pi., Didot, Paris, 1822. 
Lory (fils) Souvenirs de la Suisse, ou Recueil de Vues . . . pour faire suite au 

Voyage pittoresque dans 1'Oberland Bernois, 37 col. pi., fol. Neuchatel, 1829. 
Lory (Prof. Ch.) Description Geologique -du Dauphine, 2 vols, Maisonville, 
Grenoble, 1860-1. 

Tableau des Positions Geographiques et Hauteurs Absolues des 

Points prineipaux du Departement de FIsere et des Loca- 
lites environn antes, 1 vol. Maisonville, Grenoble. 

Mace f A.) Le Picde Belledonne, 1 vol. Maisonville, Grenobie, 1858. 

Les Montagnes de St. Nizier, 1 vol. Maisonville, Grenoble, 1858. 

Manget (J. L.) La Vallee de Sixt et le Petit St. Bernard, 1 vol. Gruez, Geneva, 1851. 
Meyer (J. R. & H.) Reise auf den Jungfrau-Gletscher und Ersteigung seines 

Gipfels, im Augstmonat IB 11 unternommen; aus den Miszellen fur die 

neueste Weltkunde besonders abgedruckt. 
Meyer (R.) Reise auf die Eisgebirge des Kantons Bern und Ersteigung ihrer 

hochsten Gipfel im Summer 1812, Sauerlander, A^rau, 1813. 
Meyer — Physik der Schweiz, Leipzig, 1854. 

Monson (Lord) Views in the Department of the Isere and the High Alps, chiefly 
designed to illustrate the Memoirs of Felix NefF, by Dr. Gilly, 1 vol. Lon- 
don, 1840. 

h 



cxxx 



INTRODUCTION. 



Mortillet (G. de) Guide de l'Etranger en Savoie, 1 vol. Perrin, Chambery, 1855. 
Moseley (Rev. Henry) On the Descent of Glaciers. 8 Philosophical Magazine, 

vol. x. 4th series, 1855. 
Mousson (A.) Die Gletscher der Jetztzeit, 1. vol. Schulthess, Zurich, 1854. 
Murray (J.) A Handbook for Travellers in Switzerland, the Alps of Savoy, and 
Piedmont, I vol. 9th edition, Murray, 1861. 

Do. in Southern Germany, 1 vol. 8th edition, Murray, 1858. 

Muston (A.) Histoire Complete des Vaudois, du Piemont, et de leurs Colonies, 

4 vols. Meyruels, Paris. 

Oesterreichischer Alpenverein, Mittheilungen, Brsumuller, Wien, 1863. 
Osterwald (J. F.) Recueil des Hauteurs du Pays comprisdans le cadre de la carte 
generate de la Suisse, 1 vol. Wolfrath, Neuchatel, 1844-7. 

Papon (Dr. J.) Engadin. Zeichnungen aus der Natur und dem Volksleben 
eines unbekannten Alpenlandes, 1 vol. Scheitlin u. Zollikofer, St. Gallen, 
1857. 

Parrot (Friedrich) Ueber die Schneegrenze auf der mittaglichen Seite des 
Rosagebiirges und barometrische Messungen. 4 Schweigger's Journal fur 
Chemie und Physik,' xix. Band, Niirnberg, 1817. 
Plantamour (Prof. E.) Mesures hypsometriques dans les Alpes, executees a 

l'aide du barometre, Fick, Geneve, 1860. 

— et Burnier (F.) Nivellement du Grand St. Bernard. 

' Bibliotheque Universelle de Geneve,' Oct. 1855. 

Raoul-Rochette — Voyage pittoresque dans la Vallee de Chamouni et autour du 
Mont Blanc, 40 col. pi., 4to. Paris, 1826. 

Raverat (Le Baron A.) A travers le Dauphine ; voyage pittoresque et artistique, 

1 vol. Maisonville, Grenoble, 1861. 
Reisen durch die merkwiirdigsten Gegenden Helvetiens, 2 vols. 12mo. London, 

1778. 

Rendu (M. le Chanoine) Theorie des Glaciers de la Savoie. 4 Memoires de la 

Societe Royale Academique de Savoie/ tome x. Puthod, Chambery, 1841. 
Revue des Alpes, Maisonville, Grenoble. 

Richthofen (F. von) Geognostische Beschreibung der Umgegend von Predazzo, 
Sanct Cassian, und der Seisser Alpe in Siid-Tyrol, 1 vol. Perthes, Gotha, 1862. 

Roder und Tscharner— Der Kanton Graubiinden, historisch, geographisch, statis- 
tisch geschildert, 1 Abtheiluno-, St. Gallen, 1838. 

Rohrdorf— Reise und Ersteigung der Jungfrau in August, 1828. 

Roth (Abraham) Gletscherfahrten in den Berner Alpen, 1 vol. Springer, Berlin, 
1861. 

Finsteraarhornfahrt, 1 vol. Springer, Berlin, 1863. 

Roussillon (J. H.) Guide du Voyageur en l'Oisans, 1 vol. Maisonville, Grenoble, 
1845. 

Ruskin(J.) On Mountain Beauty, vol. iv. of * Modern Painters,' 8vo. London, 1856. 

Salis (J. von) und Steinmiiller — Alpina. Eine Schrift der genaueren Kenntniss der 

Alpen gewidmet, 4 Bande, Winterthur, 1806-9. 
Saluzzo (Annibale di) Le Alpi che cingono P Italia. Parte prima, volume primo, 

1 vol. and atlas, Mussano, Turin, 1845. 
Saussure (H. B. de) Voyages dans les Alpes, precede d'un essai sur l'histoire na- 
turelle de Geneve, 4 vols. Fauche-Borel, Neuchatel, 1803-6. 

Partie pittoresque des ouvrages de H. B. de Saussure, 1 vol. 

Cherbuliez, Paris and Geneva, 1852. 



BOOKS. 



cxxxi 



Schaubach (R.) Die Deutsche Alpen. Ein Handbuch fiir Reisende der Tyrol, 
Oesterreich, Steyermark, Illyrien, Ober-Bayern und die anstossenden Gebiete, 
5 vols. Frommann, Jena, 1845-6-7. 

Scheuchzer (J. J.) Itinera Alpina, 4 vols. P. Vander, Leyden, 1723. 

Schlagintweit (Hermann und Adolpb) Untersuchungen iiber die pbysicaliscbe 

Geograpbie der Alpen, 1 vol. and 
atlas, Bartb, Leipzig, 1850. 

, — . Neue Untersuchungen iiber die physiea- 

lische Geograpbie und die Geologie 
der Alpen, 1 vol. and atlas. Weigei, 
Leipzig, 1854. 

Schott (A.) Die Deutschen Kolonien in Piemont ; ihr Land, ihre Mundart und 
Herkunft, Stuttgart, 1842. 

Schuckburgh (Sir George, Bart.) Observations made in Savoy in order to ascer- 
tain the Height of Mountains by means of the Barometer; being an examina- 
tion of M. de Luc's rules, delivered in his ' Recherches sur les Modifications 
de F Atmosphere.' ' Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society ' for 1777, 
vol. lxvii. pt. 2. 

Sherwill (M.) Ascent of Mont Blanc, 1826. 

. Historical Sketch of the Valley of Chamouni, Paris, 1832. 

Simler (J.) Vallesiae et Alpinum Descriptio, Lugd. Batav. 1633. 
Simond — Voyage en Suisse dans les annees 1817, 1818 et 1819, 2 vols. 8vo. Paris, 
1824. 

Simony (F.) Physiognomischer Atlas der Oesterreichischen Alpen, 1 vol. Perthes, 
Gotha, 1862. 

Sismonda (Angelo) Memoria sui Terreni stratificati delle Alpi, Turin. 

Smith (Albert) The Story of Mont Blanc, 8vo. London, 1853. 

Sonklar (Karl) Die Oetzthaler Gebirgsgruppe, mit besonderer Riicksicht auf Oro- 
graphic und Gletscherkunde, 1 vol. and atlas, Perthes, Gotha, 1860. 

Stephen (Rev. Leslie) The Allalein Horn, in Galton's 4 Vacation Tourists ' of 
1860,^ Macmillan, 1861. 

Stotter (Dr. M.) Die Gletscher des Vernagtthals und ihre Geschichte, 1 vol. Wag- 
ner, Innsbruck, 1846. 

Studer (Bernard) Geologie der Schweiz, 2 vols. Bern & Zurich, 1851-3. 

— . ■ Geschichte der physischen Geographie der Schweiz bis 1815, 

1 vol. Stampfli, Bern, 1863. 

Studer (Gottlieb) Topographische Mittheilungen aus dem Alpengebirge, 1 vol. 
and atlas, Huber & Co. Bern and St. Gallen, 1843. 

. (G.) Ulrich (M ) & Weilenmann (J. J.) Berg- und Gletscher-Fahrten in 

den Hochalpen der Schweiz, 1 vol. Schulthess, Zurich. 1859. 

Swiss Scenery, from Drawings by Major Cockburn, 4to. London, 1820. 

Taulier (Jules) Excursion aux Sept-Laux, 1 vol. Maisonvi'lle, Grenoble, 1859. 

Guide du Voyageur a la Grande Chartreuse, 1 vol. Maisonville, 

Grenoble. 

Taylor and Nodier — Voyages pittoresques dans Fancienne France. Dauphine, 

fol. Didot, Paris, 1854. 
Theobald (Prof. G.) Das Biindner Oberland; oder der Vorderrhein mit seinen 

Seitenthalern, 1 vol. Hitz, Chur, 1861. 
— Naturbilder aus den Rhatischen Alpen. Ein Fiihrer durch 

Graubiindten, 2nd edition, maps and illustrations, Hitz, 

Chur, 1862. 

Toppfer (A.) Premiers Voyages en^ zigzag, ou Excursion d'une Pension en Va- 
cances, 1 vol. 5me edition, Gamier Freres, Paris, 1S59. 
h 2 



CXXX11 



INTRODUCTION. 



Toppfer (A.) Nouveaux Voyages en zigzag, 2me edition, Gamier Freres, Paris, 
1858. 

Trinker (J.) Hohenbestimrnungen von Tirol und Vorarlberg, 1 vol. Wagner, 
Innsbruck, 1852. 

Troyon (F.) Habitations Lacustres des Temps anciens et modernes, 1 vol. Bridel, 
Lausanne, 1860. 

Tscharner (P. C. von) Wanderungen durch die Rhiitischen Alpen, 2 vols. Zurich, 
1829. 

Tschudi (Dr. F. von) Thierleben der Alpenwelt, 1 vol. 6th edition, Weber, 
Leipzig, 1861. 

Les Alpes ; description pittoresque de la nature et de la 

faune alpestres (authorised French translation) 1 vol. 
Dalp, Berne, 1859. 

Sketches of Nature in the Alps (English translation, 

abridged), 2 parts of 4 Traveller's Library,' Long- 
man, 1858. 

Tyndall (John) and Huxley (J. H.) On the Structure and Motion of Glaciers. 

'Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society 9 for 1857, 
vol. cxlvii. 

(Jolm) On some Physical Properties of Ice. 'Philosophical Transactions 

of the Royal Society ' for 1858, vol. cxlviii. 

On the Physical Phenomena of Glaciers. i Philosophical Trans- 
actions of the Royal Society 9 for 1859, vol. cxlix. 

On the Veined Structure of Glaciers, &c. ' Philosophical Trans- 
actions of the Royal Society ' for 1859, vol. cxlix. 

The Glaciers of the Alps, 1 vol. Murray, 1860. 

Mountaineering in 1861; a Vacation Tour, 1 vol. Longman, 1862. 

From Lauterbrunnen to the Aeggischhorn by the Lauwinen-Thor, 

in Galton's 4 Vacation Tourists' of 1860, Macmillan, 1861. 

Ulrich (Prof. M.) Die Seitenthaler des Wallis und der Monte Rosa topographisch 
geschildert, 1 vol. Orell Fiissli & Co. Zurich, 1850. 

Vogt (C.) Im Gebirg und auf den Gletschern, 1 vol. Jent & Gassmann, Solo- 
thurn, 1843. 

Voyage pittoresque de Geneve a Milan par le Simplon, fol., col. pi. Didot, Paris, 
1811. 

Voyage pittoresque aux Glaciers de Chamounix, col. pi., fol. Didot, Paris, 1815. 
Voyage pittoresque au Lac des Waldstettes, ou des IV Cantons, col. pi., fol. 
Zurich, 1817. 

Voyage pittoresque au Lac de Geneve, col. pi., fol. Zurich, 1820. 

Weilenmann (J. J.) Ersteigung des Piz Linard im Unter-Engadin, 1 vol. Scheit- 

lin & Zollikofer, St. Gallen, 1859. 
Welden (Luriwig Freiherr von) Der Monte Rosa, eine topographische undnatur- 

historische Skizze ; nebst einem Anhange der von Herrn Zumstein gemachten 

Reisen zur Ersteigung seiner Gipfel, 1 vol. Gerold, Wien, 1824. 
White (Walter) On Foot through Tyrol in the Summer of 1855, 1 vol. Chapman 

& Hall, 1856. 

Wills (Alfred) Wanderings among the High Alps, 1 vol. Bentley, 1856. 

4 The Eagle's Nest ' in the Valley of Sixt, with Excursions among 

the great Glaciers, 1 vol. Longman, I860. 



LIST OF ALPINE MAPS. 



cxxxiii 



Ziegler (J. M.) Sammlung absoluter Hohen der Schweiz und der angrenzendea 

Gegenden der nachbarlander, 1 vol. Zurich, 1853. 
Zurlauben — Tableaux topographiques, pittoresques, physiques, historiques,moraux, 

politiques, et litteraires de la Suisse, 3 vols, folio, Paris, 1780. 
2nd edition, 12 vols. 4to. Paris, 1784. 

List of Alpine Maps. 

Mayr (J. G.) Atlas der Alpeniander, Schweiz, Savoyen, Piemont, Sud-Bayern, 

Tirol, Salzburg, Erzhth, Oesterreich, Steyerinark, Illyrien, Ober-Italien, 

&c, 5 ^5oo, 9 Blatter, Perthes, Gotha, 1858-62. 
Worl (J. E.) Atlas von Siidwest Deutschland und dem Alpenlande, 200 1 00 q, 48 

Blatter, Freiburg, 1838. 
Alpine Club— Nineteen Maps of the Alpine Districts, from the 1st and 2nd series 

of 4 Peaks, Passes, and Glaciers,' Longman, 1862. 

Raymond (J. B. S.) Carte Topographique Militaire des Alpes, comprenant le 
Piemont, la Savoye, le^Comte de Nice, le Valais, le Duche de Genes et le 
Milanais, et Partie des^Etats Limitrophes, 200 1 000 , Paris, 1820. 

Etat Major Piemontais et Etat Major Autrichien— Carte Chorographique d'une 
Partie du Piemont et de la Savoie, comprenant le reseau trigonometrique fait 
pour joindre la Grande Triangulation de France avec celle de l'ltalie, 200 1 000 
(attached to the ' Operations pour la Mesure d'un Arc du Parallele moyen'), 
Milan, 1825. 

Etat Major Piemontais — Carta degli Stati di Sua Maesta Sarda in Terra ferma 
(6 sheet Sardinian map), a so'ooo * Turin, 1841. 

Do. (9 1 sheet do ), 5Q ^ 00 , Turin. 

Do., 1 3 1 000 (not published, Turin ). 

- Chorograiia delle Alpi dall' Mediterraneo all' Adriatico, GO q 000 , 

(attached to 'Le Alpi che cingonol' Italia'), Turin, 1845. 

Bourcet — Carte Geometrique du Haut Dauphine et de la Frontiere ulterieure, levee 
par ordre du Roi pendant les annees 1749 jusqu'en 1754 (about 85 o 00 ), Paris. 

Etat Major Francais— Carte de France, 80 q 00 , Feuille Grenoble, No. 178. The 
other sheets of the Drome, Isere, Hautes Alpes, &c, are not yet published. 

Lory (C.) Carte Geologique du Dauphine, Merie et Cie., Grenoble, J 858. 

Delacroix— Carte de la Drome, dressee par M. Morel, et publiee dans la Stati- 
stique de M. Delacroix. 

Perrin — Atlas de Savoie, 75Moo> 7 cartes, Chambery. 

Chaix (Paul) Carte du Duche de Savoie et des Vallees qui 1'avoisinent, Geneve, 
1846. 

Societe Geologique de Paris, Carte Geologique de la Savoie. Bulletin de la Societe 

Geologique de Paris, 1855. 
Favre (A.) Carte des Parties de la Savoie, du Piemont, et de la Suisse voisines du 

Mont Blanc, y^oo, Wurster et Cie., Winterthur, 1861. 
— Do., coloured geologically, do., 1862. 

Pay en (J. F.) Carte Topographique et Routiere de la Vallee de Montjoie et des 
Environs des Bains de St Gervais, A. Goujon & P. Jannet, Paris, 1857. 

Briquet, Rives du Lac de Geneve, Chamouni, Mont Blanc, & Valiees interme- 
diates, Briquet et Fils, Geneve, 1860. 

Dufour (Genl.) Topographischer Atlas der Schweiz, 10Q 1 00Q , 25 Blatter. 
Keller (H.) Zweyte Reisekarte der Schweiz, Zurich. 



cxxxiv 



INTRODUCTION* 



Leuthold (H. F. ) Reisekarte der Sch^veiz, Zurich. 

Ziegler — Neue Ziegler'sche Karte der Schweiz, Wurster & Cie., Winterthur, 1857. 
Studer (B.) u. Escher von der Linth, Carte Geologique de la Suisse, Wurster & 

Cie., Winterthur, 1853. 
Weiss (J. H.) Atlas Suisse, &c, ^ mo , 16 Blatter, Aarau, 1786-1802. 
Dufour — Carte Topographique du Canton de Geneve, ^oo, 4 Bl., Geneve, 

1837-38. 

Studer (Gottlieb) Karte der sudlichen Wallisthaler, xo^qq. 

Schlagintweit (A. H.) Karte der Monte Rosa und seinen Umgebungen im Jahre 

1861 entworfen, Weigel, Leipzig, 1854. 
Weiss (V.) Der Kanton Bern, 200 1 000 , 1 Bl., Bern, 1830. 2nd edition, 1854. 
Gumbel (C. W.) Topographische Karte des Kantons Zurich, ^—j^, 32 Bl. 
Ziegler (J. M.) Topographische Karte der Kantone St. Galien und Appenzell, 

— ^ 16 Bl., Winterthur u. Berlin, 1852-55. 

Karte des Kantons Glarus, 5U q 00 , 2 gr. Bl., Wurster & Cie., 

Winterthur, 1862. 

Ueber topographische Karten, mit 4 reducirten Karten vom 

Kanton Glarus, 4 BL. TI ^oo, Wurster & Cie., Winterthur, 1862. 
Wurster u. Cie — Karte des Kantons Graubiindten, 25cfeoo< 1 -^1., Wurster & Cie., 
Winterthur, 1862. 

Michaelis (E. H.) Carta della Republica e Cantone del Ticino, 400 1 000 , 1 Bl., 1847. 
Ziegler (J. M.) Karte des Kantons Tessin, ■- 1S q OOQ 9 1 Bl., Wurster & Cie., Winter- 
thur. 

Heyberger(J.) Topographische Special Karte der Alpen Bayernsund Nord-Tirols, 
von der Zugspitze bis zum Kaisergebirge, Y+ihool Mey & Widmayer, Mun- 
chen, 1862. 

Mey u. Widmayer — Nine Maps of the Bavarian Highlands, Miinchen, 1862. 
Worl (J. E.) Topographischer Atlas von Bayern,von dem Konigl. Bayerischen 

Gen. Quartiermeister Stab, T)T £oo< 113 Bl., Miinchen, 1812-56. 
Gumbel (C. W.) Geognostische Karte des Konigreichs Bayern und der angren- 

zenden Lander, 500 1 0Q0 , 4 Bl., Cotta, Miinchen, 1859. 

General Quartiermeister Stab — General Karte vom Kaiserthum Oesterreich, 

eelooi 9 B1 -> Wien, 1S22. 
Foetterle (F.) Geologischer Atlas des Oesterreichischen Kaiserstaates, lte Lie- 

ferung, 4 Karten, Perthes, Gotha, 1860. 
Scheda (J.) General Karte des Oesterr. Kaiserstaates, mit einem grossen Theile 

der angrenzenden Lander, 57fi 1 000 , 20 Bl., Artaria, Wien. 
General Quartiermeister Stab — Karte der gefiirsteten Grafschaft Tyrol, nebst 

Vorarlberg und dem angrenzenden Fiirstenthum Lichtenstein, 14: ± 000 j 24 Bl., 

Militar Geographisches Institut zu Wien, 1825-31. 

Do., 28Moo, 2 BL, do., Wien, 1831. 

Anich(P-) u. Hiiber (Bl.) Tyrolis sub felice regimine Marias TheresiaB r &c.^ 100 1 00Q , 

22 BL, Wien, 1774. 

Etat Major Fran^ais — Carte du Tyrol, verifiee et corrigee sur les memoires de 
Dupuits et la Luzerne, et reduite d'apres celle d'Anich et Hiiber, y^oo' 6 
Feuilles, Paris, 1800. 2e edition du Depot de la Guerre en 1808, 9 feuilles, 
Longuet, Paris. 

Mayr (G.) Spezielle Reise- u. Gebirgs-Karte vom Lande Tyrol mit den angren- 
zenden Theilen von Siicl-Bayern, Salzburg, der Schweiz u. Ober-Italien, 
sdbo* 2 B1 > Miinchen, 1853. 

Keil(F.) Topographische Relief Karten aus den Deutschen Alpen, ^gifeo' 8 B ^>- 
mit Begleitkarten, Mayr, Salzburg, 1862. 



LIST OF ALPINE MAPS. 



cxxxv 



Keil (F.) Relief des Berchtesgadner Gebirgsgruppe, ; mit Begleitkarten, 

Mayr, Salzburg, 1862. 
Relief des Gross-Glockner und seiner Umgebung, T2 q 0q , mit Begleit- 
karten, Mayr, Salzburg, 1862. 
Sonklar (K. von) Uebersichtskarte des Oetzthaler Gletschergebietes, 

Perthes, Gotha, 1860 (an excellent map). 
Pauliny (J. J.) Relief Karte der Orteler Spitze, y^^oo, im * 2 Karten und Text, 

Wien, 1861. 

Richthofer (F. Frhr. von) Geognostische Karte der Umgegend von Predazzo, 

St. Cassian, und der Seisser Alpe in Sud- Tirol, Perthes, Gotha, 1862. 
General Quartiermeister Stab — Topographische Karte des Lombardisch-Vene- 

tianischen Konigreichs, ggj^, 42 Bl., Mailand, 1833-38 
General Quartiermeister Stab — General Karte des Lombardisch-Venetianischen 

Konigreichs, 28¥5oo> 4 B1 > Mailand, 1838. 
Pauliny (J. J.) Karte des Herzogthums Karnten, 36 q 000 . Leon, Klagenfurt, 1860. 
Freyer (H.) Special Karte des Herzogthums Krain, y^oo' 16 Bi > Miiller, Wien, 

1844-45. 

General Quartiermeister Stab — General Karte des Herzogthums Steyermark, 288 1 00o , 

4 Bl., Militar-Geographisches Institut, Wien, 1842. 

General Karte des Herzogthums Salzburg, 2*^00 » 

1 Bl., Militar-Geographisches Institut, Wien, 1810. 

Karte des Herzogthums Salzburg, 14= l oo6 , 15 Bl., 

Militar-Geographisches Institut, Wien, 1810. 

Souvent(A.) Das Salzkammergut in Ober-Oesterreich, 144 1 000 , 2 Bl., Wien, 1840. 

Pauliny (J. J.) Special Karte des Salzkammergutes, 1A 4 000 , Lechner, Wien, 1861. 



SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES, 



Tours in the Western Alps. 

The following tours may be of service to those who are but slightly 
acquainted with the country, and wish to be directed to the places whence 
the finest scenery is most conveniently accessible. It is taken for granted 
that some days (the more the better) will be given to halts at the more 
interesting spots included in each tour. 



I. Carriage Tour in the Western Alps — 30 days' easy travelling, exclusive 
of halts, railways, and boats being occasionally used. 



12. 
13. 
14. 
15. 
]>5. 
17. 



AIX LES BAINS. 

Excursion by hoat to Haute Combe 

Rail to Chambery. Carriage to Grande 

Chartreuse 
Carriage to Voiron. Rail to Grenoble 
Carriage to Allevard 

Char to Chamousset. Rail to St. Jean de 

Maurienne, or St. Michel 
Carriage to Lanslebourg, or Susa 
Turin 

Rail to Cuneo. Carriage to Baths of Val- 
dieri 

Return to Cuneo. Carriage or rail to 
Saluzzo 

Char to Paesana, Barge, and La Tour de 
Luserne 

Turin by rail from Pignerol. Carriage by 

Lanzo to Ceres 
Return to Turin. Rail to Ivrea 
Carriage to Aosta. Char to Courmayeur 
Return to Aosta 

Carriage to Ivrea. Char to Biella 
Char to Varallo, by Romagnano 
Excursion to ValMastalone, returning to 
Varallo 



Orta by new road to Pella, or by Roma- 
gnano and Borgo Manero 
Carriage to Arona, and thence to Stresa or 
Baveno 

Carriage to Ponte Grande or Vanzone 
Carriage to Domo d'Ossola 
Carriage to village of Simpeln 
Carriage to Susten. Char to Baths of 
Leuk 

Carriage to Sion. Rail to Bex 
Excursion to Champery Villeneuve 
Geneva by steamer, or by road as far as 

Vevey 
Carriage to Samoens 
Excursion to Sixt and Fer-a-Cheval 
Carriage to Chamouni by Tanninges 
Carriage to Geneva. 
Those who have seen the Pass of Mont Cenis 
may vary the above route by returning from 
Alfevard to Grenoble, and travelling to Turin 
by Bourg d'Oisans, Col du Lautaret, Briancon, 
Mont Genevre, and Susa ; or, avoiding Susa, 
they may reach Turin by Fenestrelle and Pigne- 
rol. 



19. 

20. 
21. 
22. 
23. 

24. 
25. 
26. 

27. 
23. 
29. 

30. 



II. Tour of three months in the Western Alps, for moderate pedestrians or 
ladies able to ride. Alternative routes given in italics are practicable 
onlv on foot. 



AIX LES BAINS. 

1 fGrande Chartreuse at above, or by Mont 

2 4 du Chat, St. Genix, and Pont de Beau- 
' L voisin 

3. Grenoble by Sappey 

4. Carriage to Bourg d'Oisans. Mule-path 

to Ven os 

5. Excursion to La Berarde, returning to 

Venos 



9. 
10. 



11. 



Path to Bourg d'Oisans. Carriage to La 
Grave 

Monestier by Col du Lautaret 

Mule-path to Ville Vallouise by Col de 

l'Echauda 
Carriage to Embrun 

Barcelonette by Valley of the Ubaye,orbjr 

Col de I'Eyssalette 
Bersesio by Col d'Argentiere 



cxxxvm 



INTRODUCTION. 



12. Mule-path to Vinadio. Char to Borgo 

San Dalmazzo. Carriage to Baths of 
Valdieri 

13. Carriage to Cnneo 

14. Carriage or rail to Saluzzo. Carriage to 

Paesana 

1"). Excursion to Cri^solo and Piano del Re, 
returning to Paesana 

16. Char by B irge to La Tour de Luserne 

17. Mule-path by Val Angrogna to Perouse. 

Carriage to Fenestrelle. Mule-path to 
Susa 

18. Rail to Turin. Carriage to Lanzo and 

Ceres 

19. Ceresole bv Col della Crocetta mule path 

20. Mule-path to Val Savaranche by Col de la 

Croix de Niv.det 

21. Mule-path to Villeneuve. Char to Cour- 

mayeur 

22. Ascent of Mont de la Saxe or Cramont 

23. Mule-path to Chapiu 

24. Mule-path to St. Gervais 

25. Char to Sallanches, Cluses, Tanninges, and 

Samoens 

26. Char to Fer-a-Cheval, returning to Sixt 

27. Mule-path to S-rvoz by Col d'Anterne 

28. Mule path to Brevent, descending to Cha- 

mouni 

29. Mule-path to Montanvers, returning to 

Chamouni bv Chaneau 

30. Mule-path to Tete Noire or Col de Balme 

31. Mule-path to Orsieres bv Col de Champey 
3?.. Char to St. Pierre. Mule-path to Grand 

St. Bernard 



33. Mule-p;ith to St. Remy. Char to Aosta 

34. Carriage to Chatillon. Mule-path to Brus- 

sone and Gtessonay 

35. Mule-path to Magna by Col d'Ollen or 

Col di Val Dobbia 

36. Mule-path and char to Varallo 

(Ponte Gmnde by Pella and Orta, thence by 
Monte Motterone, Baveno, and carriage 
to Vogogna, or by Fobello, and Barranca 
Pass 

39. Mule-path to Macugnaga. Excursion to 

Belvedere 

1 Return to Ponte Grande, Char to Domo 
d'Ossola Carriage to Brieg. Simeto 
Viso, and mule-path to St. Niklaus, or 
by Pass of Monte Moro from Bfacugnaga 
to Mattmark See. Visit to Fee, and sleep 
at Saas ; thence to St. Niklaus 

43. Mule-path to Zermatt 

44. Excursion to Corner Grat 

45. Excursion to Schwarz See and Zmutt 

46. Return to St. Niklaus 

47. Mule-path to Visp. Carriage to Sierre 

48. Mule-path to Zinal 

/'Mule-path to Evolena by Col de Sorebois 
, Q 1 and Col de Torrent. Evolena to Sion, 
\v -j or mule-path to St. Luc, and ascent of 
u | Bella Tola; descending next day to 

( Sierre. Carriage thence to Sion 

51. Rail to Bex. Mule-path to Plan des Isles 

52. Mule-path to Chateau d'Oex 

53. Veveyby Montreux and Plan de Jaman 

54. Steamer to Geneva 



III. Pedestrian Tour of two months in the Alps of Dauphine, South Savoy, 
and Western Piedmont, occasionally putting up with very bad 
accommodation. 



1. Lyons to Grande Chartreuse. Ascend | 

Grand Som | 

2. By Col de Manival to Bernin. Thence to 

Doinene and Baths of Uriage 

3. Visit Cascade del'Oursiere. Sleep at Revel 

4. Ascend Bellpdonne, descending to Sables 

a:id Bourg d'Oisans 
{To Venos. Next day to La Berarde ; and 

5. on the following d'ay, by one or other of 

6. -j the glacier passes, to Ville Vallouise, or 

7. by La Grave, Monestier and the Col de 
l'Echauda 

8. Ville Vallouise to Queyraz, or Villevielle, 

partly by char 

9. Sleep at chalets of La Ruine under Monte 

Viso 

10. Pass of the Traversette to the Piano del 

Re, thence by Col delle Sagnette and Val 
Forcellina to Castel Delfino 

11. By Col della Bicocca to Stroppo, and thence 

to Acceglio 

12. To Barcelonette by Col de Sautron 

13. To Alios, with excursion to the Lac d'Allos 

14. To San Stefano in the Valley of the Tinea 

15. To Baths of Valdieri by the Col di Frema 

Morta 

16. Ascend Monte Matto 

17. To S. Martino di Lantosca by the Col delle 

Cerese 

IS. To Cuneo by the Col delle Fenestre and 
Entracque 

19. Railway to Saluzzo ; thence to Crissolo 

20. La Tour de Luserne 



21. To Susa, by Val Angrogna and Col de la 

Fenetre 

22. To Bardoneche. Visit tunnel through the 

Alps 

23. A scend Mont Tabor, descending to Modane 

24. To Pr;dognan by the Col de Chaviere 

25. To Lanslebourg by Col de la Vanoise, 

thence to Ancienne Poste on Mont Cenis 
bv the evening diligence 
2G. Make circuit by Petit Mont Cenis and Col 
du Ciapier, returning to the Ancienne 
Poste 

27. Bv Bessans to Bonneval 

28. To Ceres in Val Grande, by Col de Girard 

29. To Via by Col di Cialmetta 

30. Sleep at Malciaussia 

31. Ascend Rochemelon ; descend to Bessans, 

or to the Ancienne Poste on Mont Cenis 

32. To Bonneval 

33. To Ceresole by Col de Carro, or Col de 

Galese 

34. Descend Valley to Ponte 

35. To Cogne by Col della Nouva, or by Col 

de Bardonney 

36. Excursion to Le Poucet 

37. To Val Savaranche by Col de Lauzon 

38. To Aosta. Sleep at Chalets de Comboe 

39. Ascend Beccadi Nona, and reach Cogne by 

Col d'Arbole 

40. By Villeneuve and St. Didier to La Thuiie 

41. Ascend Ruitor, descending to Ste Foi. The 

traveller may then reach Chambery by the 
valley of the Isere, or Geneva by Albert- 
ville, and the Lake of Annecy. 



TOURS IN THE WESTERN ALPS. 



cxxxix 



IV. Pedestrian Tour of two months in the Pennine Alps. 



1. Macon to Chambery and Chamous?et by 

railway. Thence'by diligence to Albert- 
viile; then walk, or by char, to Ugine 

2. Megeve 

3. Ascend Mont Joli. Descend to St. Ger- 

vaise 

4. To Sixt by La Portelle 

.*>. Visit Fer-a-Cheval. Sleep at Les Fonds 

6. Ascend the Buet. Descend to rhamouni 

by the Brevent, or by Pierre a Berard 

7. Visit Cascade da Dard and Glacier des 

Bossons 

8. Tour of the Aiguilles by the Pierre a 

l'Echelle. Sleep at Montanvert 

9. Visit Jardin. Return to Chamouni 
10. To Comamines by the Col de Voza 

31. Excursion to Glacier de Trelatete. Sleep 

at the Pavilion 
12. Courmayeur by Col de Trelatete 
I** Ascend Cram on t 

14. Ascend Grand Rossere, and sleep at Hos- 

pice of Great St. Bernard 

15. Visit neighbourhood of the Hospice 

16. Ascend Mont Velan. Descend by Col de 

Menouve to Etroubles 

17. By Col de Fenetre to Chalets de Chermon- 

tane 

18. Ascend Mont Avril 

19. Chermontane to Prarayen by Col de la 

Rpuse de l'Arolla 

20. Zermatt by Col de la Val Pellina 
2h Visit Schwarz See and Hornli 
22. Ascend Mettelhorn 



23. Visit Gorner Grat. Slnep at Riffel Hotel 

24. To Breuil by Col de St. Theodule 

25. To Ayas by Cimes Blanches, or by Col de 

Portola 

26. To Gressonay by Col de Pinta. Ascend 

Grauhaunt 

27. Visit Lys Glacier. Sleep at Cour de Lys 

28. To Alagna by Col delle Piscie, or by Col 

d'Ollen 

2 g [ To Ponte Grande by Col de Moud, Ri- 
gn" -j masco, and Carcoforo, or by Varallo, 
' ( Fobello, and the Barranca Pass 

31. Macugnaea 

32. Tour of Macugnaga Glacier 

33. To Mattmark See by Monte Moro 

fTo Saas, visiting Fee Glacier, and Gletsoher 
34> j Alp. Next day to St. Niklaus. Follow- 
y-* j ing day to Griiben in Turtman Thai. Or 
gg j Dv Zwischbergen Pass to Isella. Next 
j day to Brieg bv Simplon Pass. Follow- 
L ing day to Griiben by Turtman 

37. Zinal by Pas de Forcletta, and Arpitetta 

Alp 

38. Evolena by Col de Sorebois and Col de 

Torrent 

39. Ascent of Couronne de Breona, or Aiguille 

de la Za 

40. Sion. Thence by railway to Bex 

41. Champery 

42. Ascent of Dent du Midi 

43. f To Geneva by Samoens, or by Thonon 

44. ( and lake steamer. 



The portion of the above tour comprised between Chamouni and Zermatt 
should not be undertaken otherwise than in company with a trustworthy 
guide, well acquainted with the country. It is not likely that in a single 
expedition a traveller should be so favoured by the weather as to be able 
to make all the ascents here set down. 



Books and Maps connected with the Western Alps. 

Of the works specially connected with Mont Blanc, which are numerous 
enough to fill a small catalogue to themselves, there is none to compare in 
beauty of execution with Mr. Coleman's 4 Scenes from the Snow Fields.' The 
chromo-lithographic illustrations, which are all taken from scenes actually 
sketched or painted by the artist on different parts of the mountain, sur- 
pass any similar attempts to convey the effect of the colouring of the 
upper region of the Alps. 

Of works of a more portable character, the following may be recommended 
as in various ways useful or interesting to a traveller. 

Professor Forbes. Mont Blanc and Monte Rosa, chiefly extracted from the same 

author's larger work — 4 Travels in the Alps, &c.' 
Professor Tyndall. Mountaineering in 1861. A slight, but genial little volume, 

giving an account of two adventurous expeditions in the Monte Rosa 

district. 



cxl 



INTRODUCTION. 



Professor Ulrich. Die Seitenthiiler des Wallis und der Monte Rosa topogra- 

phisch geschildert. Ziirich, 1850. 
Rev. S. W. King. The Italian Valleys of the Pennine Alps. 
A. Wills. The Eagle's Nest. 
A Lady's Tour round Monte Rosa. 

Those who wish for more detailed information respecting Dauphine than 
is contained in this volume, may consult Joanne's 4 Itineraire du Dauphine,' 
of which the second part has just been published (July 1863). The same 
writer's 4 Itineraire de la Savoie' contains much detailed information re- 
specting the more accessible districts. 

Maps. — Reference is frequently made in this volume to the map of 
Piedmont, Savoy, and the County of Nice, published by the Etat Major in 
Turin, before the recent political changes which have merged Piedmont in 
the new kingdom of Italy, and united Savoy and Nice to France. The map 
is believed to be generally correct in the lower part of the country, and in 
the inhabited portions of the valleys, but entirely fails to give a true repre- 
sentation of the Alpine region, and especially of the higher peaks and 
glaciers. A reduction in 6 sheets has been published, and has from time to 
time received some corrections. The smaller map answers the purpose of a 
pedestrian quite as well as the larger one, neither being trustworthy. The 
French Alps, i.e. those of Dauphine and Provence, are at present in a still 
more deplorable condition than those of Piedmont. The only map making the 
least pretence to accuracy is that of General Bourcet, published in 1754. For 
the period at which it was executed this is a very remarkable work, and bears 
evidence of having been in great part founded on actual observation, if not 
on a scientific survey ; but it is needless to say that it falls greatly short of 
the requirements of modern chartography. There is now a prospect that 
within a reasonable time this extraordinary deficiency will be supplied, and 
that a map worthy of the scientific reputation of the French Etat Major 
will be given to the public. 

Switzerland has long possessed maps which might be called good, by com- 
parison with those of the neighbouring countries, but this year has seen the 
completion of a work which is a just subject of national pride. The Federal 
Map of Switzerland, published under the direction of General Dufour, is a 
work which is almost faultless, both as to accuracy and as to technical execu- 
tion, and, considering the difficulties encountered and overcome, must be 
admitted to be the finest work of the kind ever executed. The entire 
territory of the Confederation is included in 25 sheets, of which the following 
contain portions of the districts included in the Western Alps: — 17, the 
lower Yalais — E. end of the Lake of Geneva — 18, the upper Valais with a 
portion of the Monte Rosa district, and the Simplon — 21, the valley of the 
Arve — 22, the N. side of the Pennine Alps from Mont Blanc to the Matter- 
horn — 23, Monte Rosa and a portion of the Saas district, not extending, 
however, to the Italian valleys. 

Of special maps of particular districts there are not many requiring 
notice. M. Gottlieb Studer's map of the district lying between the Val 
de Bagnes and the Simplon was very useful when first published, but is 
now superseded by the Federal Map. 



MAPS OF WESTERN ALPS. 



cxli 



Professor Alphonse Favre, of Geneva, has recently published a geological 
Map of a part of the north of Savoy from the valley of the Isere to the Lake of 
Geneva, including the range of Mont Blanc. To the geologist this is a very 
valuable work, and in some parts of the district it is an improvement on the 
Sardinian map, but it is not well executed, nor very well fitted for purposes 
of the unscientific traveller. 

The writer believes that the maps accompanying this volume will be 
found to be superior in many respects to those that have preceded them, and 
in several of the more important districts the smaller maps will, it is hoped, 
supply tolerably well the wants of the pedestrian traveller. 



THE 



ALPINE GUIDE. 



ALPINE GUIDE. 



CHAPTER I. 
MAEITIME ALPS. 



Section 1. 
tenda district. 

Route A — Turin to Nice — Col di Tenda . 3 

Route B — Cuneo to Baths of Vaklieri . 6 
Route C — Baths of Valdieri to Nice, Col 

delle Cerese .... 8 
Route D — Cuneo to Nice, Col delle 

Finestre 10 



Section 2. 
argentiere district. 

. Cuneo to Barcelonette, Col d'Ar- 
gentiere .... 



Route A - 



If the reader will cast his eyes upon a 
map of the region where the great chain 
of the Alps approaches the shores of the 
Mediterranean, he Avill observe that, from 
a point about 15 miles S. of the Mte. 
Viso, a number of valleys diverge in 
many directions, like the spokes of a 
wheel. These correspond to as many 
mountain ridges, which do not actually 
radiate from the same mountain, but 
which all converge towards the Mont 
Enchastraye^ or Cima dei Quattro Vesco- 
vadi (9,747 r )» a peak lying immediately 
S. of the Col della Maddalena (§ 2). 
On the W. and NW. side of that peak 
are merely short outlyers, between which 
three mountain torrents run down to 
the Ubaye. one of the chief affluents of 
the Durance. To the SW. a much 
more considerable ridge extends to- 
wards the Mediterranean, drained on 



Route B — Cuneo to Barcelonettp, by Val 

Maira 13 

Route C — Cuneo to Prazzo, by Val Grana 15 
Route D — Saluzzo to Barcelonette, Val 

Vraita 15 

Section 3. 
basses alpes. 

Route A — Nice to Barcelonette — Valley of 

the Tinea . . . .17 

Route B — Nice to Colmar— Valley of the 

Var 18 

Route C — Colmar to Barcelonette . . 19 

Route D — Barcelonette to Gap or Embrun — 

Valley of the Ubaye . .19 



the W. side by the Yerdon, on the E. by 
the Yar. It will be observed that both 
these streams are turned from their 
southward course by the comparatively 
low ranges of limestone hills which run 
from W. to E. across the Department 
of the Yar, in France. The Yerdon is 
diverted to the W. till it joins the 
Durance, while the Yar makes a wide 
bend to the E. till it meets the Tinea 
and the Yesubia, N. of Nice. Between 
the head waters of the Yar and those 
of the Tinea, a high range, with two 
peaks exceeding 9000 feet, extends for 
about 25 miles nearly due S. from the 
Mt. Enchastraye. By far the most con- 
siderable of the ranges that diverge 
from that mountain is, however, that 
which, extending at first SE., and then 
nearly due E., separates the sources of 
the Tinea from those of the Stura 



2 



MARITIME ALPS. § 1. TEND A DISTRICT. 



It is characterised by an axis of crys- 
talline rocks, which are developed on a 
large scale; and this circumstance, along 
with the height of many of the peaks, 
exceeding 10,000 feet, and the extent of 
perpetual snow, have obtained for this, 
rather than any other of the ranges 
above spoken of, the distinction of being 
considered the true prolongation of the 
main chain of the Alps. Extending in 
a direction parallel to the shores of the 
Mediterranean, it is ultimately merged 
in the Apennine which, under one or 
another denomination, reaches to the far- 
thest extremity of the Italian peninsula. 

It is not easy to determine where the 
limit between the Maritime Alps and j 
the Ligurian Apennine should be fixed. 
That great master of practical geogra- 
phy, Napoleon, placed the boundary at 
the pass NW. of Savona, traversed by 
the road from that city to Mondovi ; 
and there are geological reasons which i 
favour that division, which corresponds 
to the limit between the meiocene and the 
metamorphosed secondary rocks. The 
Piedmontese War Department, in a work 
to which reference must often be made 
hereafter — Le Alpi che cingono I' 'Italia 
— adopt the Monte dello Schiavo, NW. 
of Albenga, several miles west of the 
above-named limit, as the E. extremity 
of the Maritime Alps. In the present 
work it is thought better to regard the 
wauts of the class of travellers for whom 
it is intended, rather than any scientific 
definition ; accordingly, that portion of 
the chain only is included which, in 
common parlance, may be called alpine 
in character ; namely, that where the 
height of the mountains is sufficient to 
maintain considerable masses of per- 
petual snow. The limit to which that 
definition applies is exactly fixed by the 
pass of the Col di Ten da, traversed by 
the high road from Nice to Turin. E. 
of that pass the mountains are Apennine 
in character, being covered with vege- 
tation to their summits ; while in the 
opposite direction we at once find that 
combination of rock and snow, or ice, 
which we are used to associate with the 
idea of Alpine scenery. Following the 



example of ordinary geographers, we 
shall place the N. limit of the Maritime 
Alps at the Col de Longet, connecting 
the Val Yraita with the Ubaye, imme- 
diately to the S. of Monte Visa The 
chain connecting that magnificent peak 
witli the Mont Enchastraye supplies, on 
its W. flank, numerous torrents which 
feed the head waters of the Ubaye, but 
in the opposite direction sends out two 
considerable ridges parallel to the main 
range of the Maritime Alps. The most 
southerly of these divides the valley of 
the Stura from that of the Maira; the 
other separates the Maira from the 
Yraita. A much shorter ridge, a mere 
buttress of the Rioburent, divides the 
two mountain glens whose combined 
streams form the Vraita. The western 
limit of the Maritime Alps is naturally 
formed by the valleys of the Ubaye, 
the Verdon, and the Var, taking the 
W. branch of the latter stream, called 
La Vare. 

It is not, perhaps, generally known 
that in the close neighbourhood of a 
place so frequented by strangers as Nice, 
and easily reached by railroad on its 
northern side, via Turin and Cuneo, 
there is an Alpine range, not indeed 
rivalling in grandeur the great snow- 
clad peaks of the central Alps, yet full 
of wild and varied scenery, and pos- 
sessing the great advantage of being 
accessible some weeks earlier in sum- 
mer, and at least a month later in 
autumn, than those districts which are 
not, as this is, directly within the 
influence of the Mediterranean climate. 



SECTION 1. 

TEND A DISTRICT VALDIERI. 

The town of Cuneo, or Coni, stands at 
the SW. comer of the great plain which 
extends through Piedmont, Lombardy, 
and Venetia, from the foot of the Cot- 
tian Alps to the Adriatic, on a high ter- 
race at the confluence of the rivers Stura 



KOUTE A. TURIN TO NICE. 



and Gesso. The Stura, running due 
W. from the Col d'Argentiere, or Col 
della Maddalena, drains the W. ex- 
tremity of the Maritime Alps ; the 
Gesso, with its affluent the Vermenagna, 
carries down the waters from the north- 
ern side of the chain lying S. and SW. 
of Cuneo. Corresponding to the Gesso 
and Vermenagna are the Vesubia and 
Roja torrents, on the S. side of the same 
range. These do not, however, join 
their streams; the Roja, after a short 
course of about 35 miles, falls into the 
Mediterranean at Ventimiglia, where it 
has formed the political boundary be- 
tween France and Italy, since the recent 
dismemberment of the ancient county of 
Nice, extorted from the king and people 
of Italy by their generous ally. The 
Vesubia, bending to the W., joins the 
Var a few miles N. of Nice. 

The port ion of the Maritime Alps de- 
scribed in this section has its eastern 
limit at the Col di Ten da, traversed by 
the high road from Turin to Nice. The 
only other pass that is at all frequented 
is that of the Col delle Finestre, about 1 3 
miles W. of the Col di Tenda. The 
intervening portion of the chain rises 
into several lofty summits, of which the 
principal are the Rocca delV Abisso 
(9,193') and the Mont Clapier, whose 
highest peak, the Cima dei Gelas 
(10,433'), is the culminating point of 
this region. 

Excellent head-quarters for exploring 
this district are to be found at the Baths 
of Yaldieri (Route B), and there is, or 
was, a well-managed inn at Limone. 
With these exceptions, the accommoda- 
tion to be found in these valleys is poor 
enough. In every village, however, an 
inn of more or less humble pretensions 
is to be found ; and, though the first 
impressions may be very unfavourable, 
the writer [Ed.] has usually obtained 
food and a bed such as a mountaineer 
need not despise. The language is, in 
places unfrequented by strangers, con- 
fined to the native dialect, which seems 
to be intermediate between Piedmontese 
and Provencal. For those unacquainted 
with both, French is rather more service- 



able than Italian, though neither are 
generally spoken. 

Apart from the advantage of being 
accessible at seasons when travellers are 
shut out by climate from most other 
Alpine districts, this offers special at- 
tractions to the naturalist. Within a 
narrow range may be found a con- 
siderable number of very rare plants, 
several of which are not known to exist 
elsewhere. The geology is also inter- 
esting, and would probably repay further 
examination. A crystalline axis is 
flanked on both sides by highly- inclined 
and much- altered sedimentary rocks, 
which probably include the entire series 
from the carboniferous to the cretaceous 
rocks, in some parts overlaid by num.- 
mulitic deposits. 



Route A. 



TURIN TO NICE COL DI TENDA. 



Piedm. Ital. 

m.* posts, 
35 

12 2 

m if 

24 4 
1« 2± I 





Eng 




m. 


Cuneo (railway) 


54 


Robillante . 


I*f 


Limone 


16 


Tenda 


36§ 


Giandola . 


23 


Sospello 




Scarena 


m 


Nice . 


23 




224 



18 
15 



2f 
3 

n 



B 2 



146 18| 
(from Cuneo) 

From Turin to Cuneo, rail in 2h. 40m. 
four times a day. Mallepost from Cuneo 
to Nice in 22h. ; longer when snow lies 
on the pass, when it is crossed in car- 
riages laid upon sledges. The long 
windings of the road make the distance 
between several of the stages more 
than double the length of the footpaths. 

The railway from Turin to Cuneo 
runs nearly due S. along the nearly level 
plain skirting the base of the Cottian 
Alps, and frequently commanding views 
of the snowy range crowned by the peak 
of Monte Viso. For those intending to 
approach that noble mountain through 

* See Introduction. 1 Piedmontese mile =. 
1£ English mile and 57 yards. 1 Italian post 
= 8 geogr. miles = 9 Eng. miles and 362 yards. 



] MARITIME ALPS. § 

the valley of the Po, or the Yal Vraita, 
there is a convenient branch-line from 
the Savigliano station to Saluzzo (§ 4) . 

Cuneo (Inns: Hotel de la Poste — 
best(?); Barra di Perro — frequented, 
pretty good cookery) lies nearly at the 
head of a narrow inlet from the great 
plain of the valley of the Po, enclosed 
on either side by the outlying ridges 
from the Maritime and Cottian Alps. 
The fortifications, once thought very 
strong, were destroyed by the French. 

Along the narrow tongue of land 
separating the Stura and the Gesso, at 
whose N. extremity Cuneo is built, the 
high road is carried for about eight miles 
through level, richly-cultivated ground, 
t :> Borgo S. Dalmazzo, a large village at 
the very foot of the mountains, opposite 
to the junction of the Vermenagna 
torrent, flowing from the S., with the 
valley of the Gesso coming from the 
S W. As the high road to Ten da follows 
the former stream, it here crosses the 
Gesso above the junction, and com- 
mences to ascend the picturesque valley 
of the Vermenagna, passing Roccavione, 
and the post station of Robillante, and, 
after gradually mounting about 1,500 
feet, reaches 

Limone (Inns : Hotel de la Poste, 
at the N. end of the village, is, or was, 
good and reasonable ; two or three 
other houses appear inferior), the best 
head-quarters (3,340 ; ) for anyone wish- 
ing to explore the neighbourhood. It is 
a walk of about 3 hours (?) across 
the ridge E. of the village to the Certosa 
di Pesio. This ancient monastery 
(founded 1173) has of late years been 
converted into a hydropathic establish- 
ment, said to be well conducted (food 
and accommodation are favourably re- 
ported of), in a picturesque position, 
warmer than the baths of Valdieri, 
and by some preferred on that account. 
The Pesio torrent descends into the 
plain at La Chiusa, not far from Cuneo, 
and the Certosa is accessible by a car- 
riage-road in 2^ hrs. from the railway 
station. 

The pedestrian who may wish to vary 
the way to Tenda and avoid the beaten 



1. TENDA DISTRICT. 

track, has his choice among several other 
practicable passes, which are, however, 
very little frequented, and not easily 
found without a guide. Following a 
stream which falls into the Vermenagna 
at Limone, from the SE., it is possible 
to pass by the Col di Boaira, or the Col 
di Framosa, into a branch of the valley 
of the Roja, called the Vallon di liio 
Freddo, which joins the Roja close to 
the village of Tenda. Besides other 
rarities, such as Iberis garrexiana, 
Phyteuma Balbisianum, &c, the bota- 
nist may find the extremely scarce 
Moehringia papulosa on the limestone 
rocks by a house (? hermitage) scooped 
out of the face of the mountain on the 
left side of the valley, about two miles 
above Tenda. 

A more interesting excursion may be 
made from Limone by following up the 
main stream of the Vermenagna to its 
source in a wild glen (called Valle dell' 
Abisso) under the peak of the Rocca 
delP Abisso (9,193'). On the way are 
many interesting plants — e. g., Silene 
campanula, Lamium longiflorum, Satn- 
reja piperella, Achillea herba rota, and 
Saxifraga pedemontana. At the head 
of this glen is a depression in the chain, 
approached through a hollow filled with 
huge fallen rocks and patches of snow, 
a resort of chamois. Clouds having 
come on, the waiter [Ed.] was unable 
to ascertain whether the descent on the 
S. side of this wild pass is practicable. 
To reach Tenda from thence is not 
difficult, as, on returning a short dis- 
tance (less than one hour) towards 
Limone, a pass is seen on the right 
hand (?Col della Margaria), ap- 
proached by steep grassy slopes, which 
crosses the main chain, and leads down 
to the high road near the S. foot of the 
Col di Tenda. 

The road from Limone to the pass 
mounts in long zigzags by a spur of 
the mountain, which projects between 
two deeply- cut branches of the main 
valley. The road on both sides of the 
pass is narrow, the turns sharp, and in 
but few places is there /the slightest 
barrier, so that nervous persons should 



ROUTE A. COL DI TENDA. 



5 



pass in the dark. There is no real 
danger with horses used to the work. 
From one or two points on the N. 
side the peak of Monte Yiso may be 
seen to the NW., towering over the 
intermediate ranges. The actual pass 
(6,15s 7 ) commands a distant view of 
the Graian Alps, and leads at once to 
the long and steep descent overlooking 
the bare rocky ranges which enclose 
the head of the valley of the Roja, 
with a single glimpse of the Mediter- 
ranean. There is, perhaps, no other 
carriage road over the Alps which en- 
counters a continuous slope so long and 
so steep as that on the S. side of the 
Col di Tenda — little if at all less than 
3,000 feet. This is surmounted by a 
seemingly endless succession of short 
zigzags, passing on the way several 
houses of refuge, which are often 
needed in winter, when the storms are 
so violent that neither man nor beast 
can make way against them. In the 
last century, the Duchess Anna of 
Savoy adopted a project, for that period 
a very bold one, of piercing the moun- 
tain by a tunnel two miles in length, 
at about half the height of the final 
slope. The works, of which the remains 
may yet be seen, were interrupted by 
the French occupation in 1792. At 
the foot of the long descent, the road 
follows the stream of the Roja for 
several miles through a narrow rocky 
valley, till it reaches 

Tenda (Inns : Poste — tolerable for a 
mountain inn, but not good: there is 
a rival house — Hotel Imperial (?)) a 
small village very picturesquely situ- 
ated under a rock, crowned by the 
ruins of the castle which once belonged 
to the unfortunate Beatrice di Tenda. 
The inferior accommodation, and less 
agreeable situation, in a hot valley 
(2,680'), make this a less eligible spot 
for a halt than Limone; but the neigh- 
bourhood is full of interest to a natu- 
ralist or geologist. Among other very 
rare plants to be found on the rocks 
over the village, Silene cordifolia, Aspe- 
rula hexaphylla, Saxifraga diapensioides, 
and S. cochlearis, with Passerina dioica, 



may be especially noted; the two first 
are not known to grow out of this 
district. 

Three or four miles below Tenda is a 
large modern-looking building, now 
occupied as a hydropathic establish- 
ment, once the Abbey of San Dal- 
mazzo. The position is hot and con- 
fined, and most invalids would in the 
summer season find Pesio a more 
agreeable residence. At this point two 
lateral valleys join the Poja : that on 
the E. side, leading to the village of 
Briga, is inconsiderable ; but in the 
opposite direction a more copious 
torrent descends from the Valle delta 
Miniera. [About six miles up this 
valley are the mines known for many 
centuries, rich in argentiferous sul- 
phuret of lead, and alternately worked 
and abandoned, as circumstances have 
rendered them profitable. Near to the 
works the valley forks. The NW, 
branch leads to the valley of the Gesso 
by the Col del Sabbione (7,704/); or, 
following up the torrent to its source 
S. of the Mont Clapier, to a difficult 
pass, at least 9,000 feet in height, called 
Passo di Valmasca. (No information 
as to either of these passes.) The W. 
branch of the Yalle della Miniera leads 
over a steep ridge to a lateral valley of 
the Vesubia.] 

Below S. Dalmazzo, the high road 
passes for several miles through a nar- 
row gorge between steep massive walls 
of igneous (? porphyritic) rock, with 
here and there an opening which some 
torrent has cut through the mass. The 
bold forms of the rocks, and the luxu- 
riant vegetation which crowns every 
height and fills every hollow, make the 
scenery of this road worthy to compare 
with almost any other more famous 
Alpine pass. The botanist will remark 
with interest, beside the saxifrages and 
other Alpine plants that have descended 
from the surrounding Alps, many species 
of warmer latitudes, and especially the 
Cineraria maritima, which, save in gar- 
dens, is seldom seen except in the warm- 
est situations on the shores of the Medi- 
terranean. Here, between the villages 



6 



MARITIME ALPS. § 



1. TEND A DISTRICT. 



of Fontan and Breglio, is almost the 
only habitat of the curious plant, Ballota 
spinosa. 

Fontan (a poor-looking inn — rather 
better than it seems) is the frontier 
village on the new French boundary, 
where passports are demanded and 
luggage examined. Below this, on the 
right, is the opening of the Val de Ca- 
ros> through which the valley of the 
Vesubia may be reached by the Col de 
JRaus (6.572'), leading to Roccabi- 
ghiera, or by the Col deW Ortighera, by 
Bollena, to Lantosca. The high road 
now enters a narrow defile below Saor- 
gio, crossing and recrossing the Roja 
several times, and then following the 
stream to the post station at 

Giandola (Hotel des Etrangers ; Ho- 
tel de la Poste). From this point the 
Roja runs in a tolerably direct course 
to Ventimigiia, where it falls into the 
Mediterranean ; but the traveller who 
fancies himself near to Nice is disap- 
pointed to find that he has still to cross 
a succession of steep rocky ridges, sepa- 
rating as many short valleys which in- 
tervene between the Roja and the Pa- 
glione torrent, on which Nice is built. 
The first of these, the Col de Brouis, in- 
volves an ascent and descent of about 
1,500 feet to reach 

Sospello (Hotel Carenco, well recom- 
mended, the usual halt for vetturino and 
posting travellers), surrounded by fig- 
trees, olives, &c. A still longer and 
steeper ascent over rocky soil, in sum- 
mer nearly bare of vegetation, leads by 
the Col de Brans (3,3000 to Scarena, 
from whence, by crossing another less 
troublesome ridge, the road attains the 
Paglione torrent, often nearly dry in 
fine weather, and following its left bank 
reaches 

Nice (Inns : Hotel Victoria; Hotel de 
France — both first- class ; Hotel de FUni- 
vers, near the diligences — well-kept, 
cooler in summer than most of the 
others ; Hotel des Etrangers; Hotel des 
Princes; Hotel Chauvain; Grande Bre- 
tagne ; Angleterre ; Europe ; Paradis ; 
Nord). 



Route B. 

CUNEO TO THE BATHS OF VALDIERI. 

Eng. ra. Piedm. m. 

Village of Valdieri . . 14 9| 
Baths of Valdieri . 10 6| 

~24 15£ 

In 1860 an omnibus went once a day 
from the Barra di Ferro at Cuneo to the 
Baths, and carriages (at 20 fr.) were em- 
ployed by the company who manage the 
Baths to convey parties from the railway 
station thither. In that year the car- 
riages and horses were not good; but 
in this, as in other respects, improvement 
was expected. The road to the Baths, 
only completed in 1859, was without 
barriers in places where it overhangs 
the torrent; but this source of anxiety 
to nervous persons has probably been 
removed. 

From Borgo San Dalmazzo (see last 
route) the road follows the left bank of 
the Gesso to the village of Valdieri 
(2,493'), the last in the main valley, 
which here expands into a small plain 
about a mile wide. On the S. side is 
the opening of a considerable lateral 
valley, in which stands, about two miles 
distant, the village of Entracque (see 
Rte. D). From this point to the Baths 
the new road mounts continuously 
through a narrow glen, where the Gesso 
brawls its way amidst huge blocks of 
gneiss and granite. Save a few houses 
clustered round a saw-mill at the junc- 
tion of the Meiris torrent, scarcely a 
single house is seen ; and the traveller 
is surprised to find himself thus near to 
the shores of the Mediterranean, amid 
scenery as wild as any in the Alps, 
especially when, as often happens till 
mid- July, large patches of snow lie un- 
melted in hollows beside the torrent. 
No token of civilised life meets the eye 
till, after two hours' constant ascent, a 
turn of the glen shows a handsome new 
bridge, and behind it is a massive stone 
building with a few ruinous-looking old 
houses about it, which till lately were 
the only resort for visitors. 

The Baths of Valdieri have enjoyed 
local celebrity in Piedmont for many 



ROUTE B. BATHS OF VALDIEEI. 



7 



centuries, and were not unknown to the 
Eomans ; but until very lately the diffi- 
culty of access and want of accommo- 
dation much restricted their use. Their 
position on the N. side of the Maritime 
Alps, even more than their height 
(4,42 6' )> make the climate very cool — 
too much so, indeed, for the comfort of 
many invalids. For a mountaineer, 
however, they afford excellent head- 
quarters. 

The whole place is now in the hands 
of a company represented by a director, 
and a resident manager. In addition 
to the old comfortless buildings which 
previously existed, there are four or 
five neat wooden houses in the Swiss 
style, called chalets, and a very large 
stone building, opened for the reception 
of visitors in 1861. It includes a long 
dining-room — a room which is lighted 
up in the evening, and often used for 
dancing ; a cafe on the ground floor ; 
and a large number of bed-rooms. The 
charges are rather high — in the chalets 
4 fr. a-day for a small room with one 
bed — and the management is not 
very efficient ; but, considering the dis- 
tance from supplies, the table d'hote is 
well kept. The society is almost ex- 
clusively Fiedmontese, and, for a water- 
ing-place, may fairly be called select. 
One of the visitors is elected as repre- 
sentative of the rest, to make known 
any cause of reasonable complaint, and 
to make arrangements for the general 
convenience. 

There are many mineral springs here, 
of which three are used. I. A very hot 
sulphureous spring, issuing from the 
rock at about 145° Fahr. 2. A sul- 
phureous spring containing organic mat- 
ter, called Acqua di Santa Lucia, cele- 
brated for its efficacy in ophthalmic 
complaints ; temp. 95°Fahr. 3. A sa- 
line spring, a mild purgative. But the 
most singular curative agent here arises 
from the growth of a cryptogamic plant 
— the Ulva labyrinthiformis of Allioni — 
on the surface of the rock over which 
the thermal waters trickle down to the 
bed of the Gesso. This forms gela- 
tinous masses, three or four inches 



thick, in which, under the microscope, 
minute insects are seen to thrive at a 
temperature of 135°Fahr. Large strips 
of this matter are taken off and applied 
to the body, being found very useful in 
some cases of internal disease, for old 
wounds, &c. 

This valley of the Gesso, and that of 
the Gesso di Entracque (Rte. D), are 
the favourite resort of King Yictor Em- 
manuel, who is passionately fond of 
chamois hunting. To suit the king's 
convenience, paths have been cut in 
many directions, nearly to the top of the 
highest peaks. While these are not 
less convenient to the mountaineer who 
would explore the neighbourhood, he 
must be on his guard against the natural 
conjecture that such paths lead to prac- 
ticable passes. He will often find them 
come to an end in some wild spot, from 
whence there is no other apparent exit. 
The narrow glen of the Gesso at the 
Baths lies between two lofty peaks, the 
Monte Matto (10,2300 to the NW., and 
the Monte della Stella to the SE. The 
former may be easily ascended in four 
hours from the Baths. As, with the 
sole exception of the Cima dei Gelas, 
this is the highest point (?) in the chain, 
the view from the peak must, in fine 
weather, be both extensive and inter- 
esting. 

Immediately above the Baths, the glen 
of the Gesso, entering the proginic 
granite, divides into two branches : the 
S. branch leads to the Col delle Ce- 
rese (Rte. C), while the other, mount- 
ing nearly due W. to a small lake, is 
called Vallasco, and is the frequent ob- 
ject of short excursions from the Baths. 

This neighbourhood has long been 
celebrated for the beauty and rarity of 
its flora, and even the least botanical 
visitor is attracted by the variety and 
brilliancy of the flowers which may be 
found within a short stroll from the 
Baths. Conspicuous amongst these are 
Lychins flos jovis, Saponaria ocymoides, 
Potentilla valderia, Viola cenisia, Para- 
disia liliastrum, Lilium bulbiferum, Achil- 
lea herba rota. Nasturtium pyrenaicum, 
and several Alpine species of Primula, 



8 



MARITIME ALPS. § 1. TEND A DISTRICT. 



The Alpine laburnum, Cytisus alpinus, 
is extremely common, and ascends be- 
yond the limit of other trees to a great 
height on the mountains, gilding the 
dark rocks with its profuse masses of 
bright yellow flowers. In mossy places 
Cardamine asarifolia, and Tozzia alpina, 
are abundant. The Yallasco glen, which 
is also interesting through its memorials 
of former glacial action, is particularly 
rich. On the rocks and slopes upon 
either side may be found Arabis allionii, 
Silene cord if alia* Saxifraga florulenta, 
and -S. pedemontana, Cephalaria alpina, 
Pedicularis incarnata, and other very rare 
plants. From the upper end of Val- 
lasco are two practicable passes — that 
to the left leads through the Vallon di 
Rio Freddo to the village of Vinadio, 
in the valley of the Stura (§ 2) ; that to 
the right, called Col delle Portette, com- 
municates with the valley of the Tinea 
(§ 3 ) through a laieral valley, the Val- 
lon de Molieres. 

There is a tolerably good path, di- 
verging from the road close to the new 
bridge below the Baths, which leads 
over the shoulder of the Monte della 
Stella to the Valle della Rovina, a 
branch of the Gesso di Entracque. 
This affords a way of varying the 
route in returning from the Baths to 
Cuneo. 

When the king is hunting in this 
neighbourhood, a mountaineer bent on 
exploring the neighbouring peaks will 
do well to arrange his excursions so as 
not to frighten the game from the 
quarter in which the royal sportsman is 
engaged. 

Route C. 

BATHS OF TALDIERI TO NICE — COL 
DELLE CERESE. 

Hours. Eng. 

walking m. 

San Martino di Lantosca . 6 15 

Village of Lantosca . . 3£ ]QA 

Scarena ..... 5 15 

Nice 6| 23 

21 63| 

This is an interesting pass, leading 



I through fine scenery, but on the S. 
side the valley of the Vesubia is hot. 
From Scarena to Nice, most travellers 
will prefer to take a vehicle rather than 
walk, half-broiled, by the dusty high 
road. The distances above given have 
no pretension to accuracy. 

From the Baths of Valdieri a path 
in the right bank of the stream leads 
to the S. branch of the valley, called 
Valletta, and in less than an hour 
passes a spot where the king often 
pitches his tent when on a hunting 
excursion. Xear this, on the bank of 
the torrent, Senecio balbisianus grows 
abundantly, and the bouquets of Alpine 
flowers which His Majesty sometimes 
presents to the ladies at the Baths are 
in great part made up of this extremely 
rare species. The upper end of the 
Valletta glen is bare and wild. On the 
W. side it is bounded by a flat-topped 
ridge, over which lies a path, practic- 
able for mules, by the Col di Frema 
Morta (8,839'), to the Vallon de Molieres, 
a tributary of the valley of the Tinea. 
This is said to be a dreary and unin- 
teresting pass. At the head of the 
Valletta valley is a high peak, partly 
snow-covered, with a depression on 
each side, either of which might be 
taken for the pass. That seen to the 
left, looking up the glen, is said to be 
impracticable ; the right-hand depres- 
sion is the Col delle Cerese. Crossing 
the torrent, the track mounts by a steep 
rocky slope, and among huge frag- 
ments of rock, till it attains a wild 
hollow, enclosed on either side between 
steep rocks, which mounts for a con- 
siderable distance in a direction some- 
what east of S. When the writer 
passed, on July 17, the bottom of 
this hollow way was filled w r ith snow 
for its entire length; but before the 
close of ordinary summers, most of 
this is melted. On the rocks and 
steep slopes of debris to the W. are 
many rare plants ; e. g. Viola num- 
mulariafolia, Saxifraga retusa, &c. In 
I about 3j hrs. from the Baths, the 
summit of the Col (8,4120 is attained. 
. The descent on the S. side, far steeper 



ROUTE C. — VALLEY OF THE VESUBIA. 



9 



than the ascent, commences down a 
ledge against the face of nearly vertical 
rocks, and soon attains a little tarn 
lying on a shelf of the mountain. The 
effect of southern exposure is seen in the 
abundant vegetation which flourishes at 
this great height, while at the N. side 
a few peculiar species can alone manage 
to exist amidst the almost perpetual 
snow. The track becomes more and 
more faint as it descends into a beauti- 
ful upland glade, where bright green 
pastures, rich in flowers of every hue, 
are here and there broken by rock and 
pine forest. It seems probable that the 
true way here makes a considerable 
sweep to the right, before descending 
into the main valley, which lies at a 
great depth below. The writer, in 
taking a more direct course, found 
that a pine forest through which he 
descended came to an end at the brink 
of a range of precipitous rocks, but on 
bearing somewhat to the left, he effected 
a very steep, but not too difficult, 
descent into the extreme N. branch of 
the valley of the Yesubia, along which 
a very tolerable path led in about three 
miles to the village of San Martino de 
Lantosca (3,209'). The inn, to which he 
was directed by a French douanier, was 
very forbidding in appearance, but he 
found no reason to complain of his 
supper and bed. There is a more 
attractive hostelry at Roccabighiera ; 
but the village inns in this valley seem 
much on a par in point of accommo- 
dation. 

S. Martino stands at the junction of 
the N. branch of the Yesubia with a 
lateral valley which mounts nearly due 
E. to the pass of Le Finestre (Rte. 
D). The path down the main valley 
passes through extremely rich and 
picturesque scenery : by an early 
start, the sunshine, here extremely 
hot in summer, may be avoided for 
nearly all the way — about 2 hrs. — 
to Roccabighiera, where the path to 
Lantosca crosses from the 1. to the 
rt. bank of the Yesubia. A little 
lower down, the Gordalasca torrent 
joins the Yesubia from the NE. It leads 



up to the Cima dei Gelas (10,43s'), 
the highest summit of the Maritime 
Alps, and by a snow, or glacier (?), 
pass, the Passo dei Gelas, communicates 
with the valley of the Gesso di En- 
tracque (Rte. D). [A much easier 
pass, the Col de Raus, leads from 
Roccabighiera to the valley of the 
Roja (Rte. A) — one track descending 
through the Yal de Caros to Saorgio ; 
another, along the ridge of the mountain, 
reaches S. Dalmazzo, below Tenda.] 
In descending from Roccabighiera to 
the village of Lantosca (about 1| hour), 
the change of climate becomes manifest 
in the more and more southern character 
of the vegetation. Cistuses, Centaureas, 
and other Mediterranean species, make 
their appearance, and the jujube tree, 
Zizyphus vulgaris, appears perfectly wild 
on the stony slope of the valley. 

Beneath Lantosca, where there is a 
tolerable village inn, the Yesubia has 
cut a deep channel with vertical walls 
of calcareous rock, over which the new 
carriage road, intended to reach S. Mar- 
tino, is carried at a great height above 
the torrent. A little below the village, 
on the left bank of the stream, is a lofty 
wall of rock, along which the old road, 
a mere horse track, was carried. Here 
are found Potentilla saxifraga and 
Saxifraga lantoscana — plants known 
only in two or three spots in this neigh- 
bourhood — along with Plagius agera- 
tifolius, Genista cinerea, Juniperus phos- 
nicea, and other rarities. 

From Lantosca, the pedestrian has 
a choice of three roads to Nice. The 
easiest is to follow the valley of the 
Yesubia to Lemnzo, a village on the 
1. bank, from whence a low pass leads 
due S. along the Rio Secco torrent to 
Nice. A second way is to turn out of 
the Y. Yesubia, about 3 miles below 
Lantosca, and ascend through the Vol 
del Infernet, to a pass called Col delle 
Porte, E. of the Rocca Seira (5,0060- 
From hence he may keep along the 
ridge of the mountain above the Pa- 
glione torrent, descending to the high 
road, about 12 miles from Nice. The 
third, and most expeditious, course is 



10 



MARITIME ALPS. § 2. ARGENTIERE DISTRICT. 



to descend from the Col delle Porte to 
the high road of the Col di Tenda at 
Scarena (Rte. A), and there hire a 
vehicle, or take the diligence, to Xice. 



Route D. 

CUNEO TO NICE. BY ENTRACQUE AN'D 
COL DELLE FIXE ST RE. 

Hours' En<?. 

walking m. 

Valdieri .... 4 14 

Col delle Finestre . . .6 !5 
S.Martino di Lantosca . 3 8 

Nice (Route C) . . .15 48| 

28 8"5| 

As mentioned in Rte. B, the main 
valley of the Gesso receives a con- 
siderable affluent a little above the 
village of Valdieri. This is Celled the 
Gesso (FEntracque, and is formed by 
the union of the numerous torrents 
which drain the N. side of the Mont 
Clapier and the adjoining protogine 
peaks, the highest in this part of the 
chain of the Maritime Alps. A char- 
road runs up the valley for about 3 m. 
to the village of Fntracque, where 
there is a tolerable inn, placed, as the 
name indicates, at the junction of two 
streams, where the Sabbione torrent is 
united to the Gesso. A track leading 
up by the former to the Col del Sab- 
bione, communicates with the Yalle 
della Miniera, near Tenda (see Rte. 
A ). Through the main branch of the 
valley a path, practicable for horses, 
leads to the Col delle Finestre. About 
1 hr. above Entracque, a lateral 
valley opens to the SW., closed at its 
upper end by a difficult snow, or gla- 
cier, pass — the Col della Euina — lead- 
ing to the N. branch of the Vesubia, 
near to the foot of the Col delle Cerese 
(Rte. C). The main branch, now 
called Voile delle Finestre, mounts due 
S., passing but one or two huts in the 
ascent. Another tributary torrent falls 
in from the SE., descending from the 
glaciers of the Mont Clapier, over 
which lies a glacier pass — Passo dei 



Gelas — leading through the Val Gor- 
dalasca, a branch of the Vesubia, to 
Roccabighiera (Rte. C). 

The Col delle Finestre (8,189') is 
somewhat frequented by the country 
people of this district, on account of a 
sanctuary, called La Madonna delle 
Finestre, which stands about half an 
hour below the summit, on the S. side 
of the pass. Near to it is an inn, where 
a mountaineer will find tolerable quar- 
ters, except about the middle of August 
when it is overcrowded. The spot is 
interesting to botanists because of the 
many rare plants which are here found. 
On some neighbouring rocks, Saxifraga 
fiorulenta, never seen to flower elsewhere, 
has been collected. The descent to 
San Martino di Lantosca is without 
difficulty, and the way from thence to 
Xice is described in Route C. [Fur- 
ther information as to the passes be- 
tween the Col di Tenda and the Col 
delle Cerese is much desired.] 



SECTION 2. 

ARGEXTIERE DISTRICT. 

In this section are included the Pied- 
montese valleys N. and E. of the 
Maritime Alps, with that portion of 
the main chain which lies between the 
Monte Viso and the Mont Enchastraye. 
The highest point in this range is the 
Grand~Rioburent (11,142'). TheFrench 
engineers have lately ascertained that 
the Aiguille de Chambeyron, lying SW. 
of the Rioburent, and a little W. of the 
watershed, is higher by 13 feet. Of the 
many passes by which the main chain 
may be traversed, there is but one easy 
of access, and therefore frequented — 
the Col d'Argentiere, or Col della Mad- 
dalena. The ranges separating the 
valleys of the Stura, Maira, and Vraita, 
are of considerable height, but are ac- 
cessible in most directions by passes of 
no difficulty. There is no point in this 
district which can be recommended as 



ROUTE A. COL 

affording to a mountaineer convenient 
and comfortable head- quarters. There 
is an inn at Bersesio, in the valley of 
the Stura (height about 4,500') which is 
said to be tolerably well-kept, and in the 
Yal Maira Prazzo (3,3600, offers ac- 
commodation which would be bearable 
for a few days ; but in the upper part of 
the Yal Yraita there is no halting-place 
deserving of even this moderate praise. 



Route A. 



cuneo to barcelokette — col 
d'argentiere. 





Hours' 


Eng. 




walking 


m. 


Borgo S. Dalmazzo . 


. 2\ 


8 


Demonte 


• H 


12 


Vinadio 


. 2± 


8 


Bersesio 


. 4 


12 


L'Arche 


. 3 


9 


Barcelonette 


• Jl 


m 









There is a good char-road as far as 
Yinadio, and beyond that a frequented 
mule -path. The best halting-place is 
at Bersesio, unless the traveller should 
prefer to stop at the Baths of Yinadio, 
an hour's walk away from the direct 
road. 

At San Dalmazzo (§ 1, Rte. A), the 
road to Yinadio turns to the W. at 
right angles to the high road leading 
to Nice, and enters the valley of the 
Stura, sometimes called, to distinguish 
it from the river of the same name 
NW. of Turin, Stura di Demonte, pass- 
ing the hamlet of St. Martino ; soon 
after the Stura appears in its deep 
course in the valley; and beyond it, 
rising abruptly amidst some pinnacled 
rocks and precipices, lies the village of 
Rocca Sparviera. A little farther on, 
the road winds down to the river, crosses 
the Stura, and continues on its left bank 
almost throughout the valley. The cul- 
tivated land which borders the Stura is 
very rich and luxuriant : the chestnut 
trees are of great magnitude ; and the 
forms of the adjoining mountains highly 
picturesque. 



d'argentiere. 11 

About eight Piedmontese (12 English) 
miles from S. Dalmazzo the road reaches 
Demonte (Inn: 'Fleur de Lys; poor' — 
[M.]), the principal place in the valley, 
close to the junction of the Arma torrent 
with the Stura. From the head of the 
glen of the Arma a pass called Col del 
Mulo (8,422') leads either to the Yal 
Grana, or to a lateral valley of the Yal 
Maira which joins the main stream op- 
posite to the village of Prazzo (Rte. C). 

On a mound in the centre of the 
valley by Demonte, between the road 
and the river, are the ruins of a fort, 
once considered very strong, which 
guarded this entrance into Piedmont, 
and which, after undergoing many 
vicissitudes, was finally destroyed by the 
French, 1801. The scenery of the valley, 
rich in fine timber, backed by bold rocky 
summits, continues to preserve the same 
character from Demonte to Yinadio 
(Inn : La Yittoria?), where the char-road 
comes to an end. A short distance 
above the village, on the right bank of 
the river, two converging lateral valleys 
pour their torrents into the Stura nearly 
at the same point. Through the eastern- 
most of these — the VallondiRio Freddo 
— there is a pass to Yallasco above the 
Baths of Yaldieri, and another, called 
Col della Lombarda ( 7,85s 7 ), leading to 
the valley of the Tinea. The other 
lateral valley, V. di Santa Anna, affords 
a more direct communication with the 
Tinea by the Col di Sta. Anna (8,009'). 

About an hour's walk above Yina- 
dio, at a hamlet called Pianche, another 
ravine opens on the right bank of the 
Stura, through which, ascending con- 
stantly for an hour, is the path to the 
Baths of Vinadio. There is room here 
for about 100 guests, besides quarters for 
invalid soldiers; but the accommoda- 
tion is said to be very inferior to that 
found at the Baths of Yaldieri, and the 
situation, in a narrow glen, 4,183 feet 
in height, is cold and comfortless except 
in the finest weather. There are several 
picturesque waterfalls in the glen, one 
of them near to its opening in the val- 
ley of the Stura. By a pass called Colla 
Lunga (8,573'), only about 500 feet 



12 



MARITIME ALPS. § 2. ARGEXTIERE DISTRICT. 



below the easily accessible summit of 
the Monte delta Guercia, the valley of 
the Baths communicates with that of 
the Tinea. 

* Above Yinadio, the change is rapid 
to wild and Alpine scenery, varying 
from a road by the stream which rip- 
ples through quiet meadows, to nar- 
row paths which overhang rhe course 
of the torrent — a course too narrow in 
the ravine for a path by the river: it 
is therefore carried on ledges of the 
precipices above, and forms, in some 
places, fearful mule-paths for the travel- 
ler's ascent of the valley. Such scenes 
are observed near Sambuco. Above are 
the villages of Pied de Port and Pont 
Bernardo. At a place called the Bar- 
ricades — a narrow defile where defences 
of the valley were formerly erected, and 
which was often the scene of desperate 
conflicts — the road is carried along a 
shelf of rock above the river, and has 
been cut out of the precipices which 
darken and overhang the ravine, and 
offer an almost impregnable barrier to 
the passage of the valley. Above the 
Barricades the road, or rather path, lies 
amidst the debris of the mountains which 
bound the valley, and offer a scene of wild 
desolation.' — [M.] 

In this part of the valley the geologist 
will not fail to observe that the course 
of the Stura follows pretty closely the 
line of junction between the gneiss and 
the metamorphic slates. 

From the village of Pietra Porzio 
(3,855 ) there is a pass to the X.. lead- 
ing to Prazzo in Yal Maira by the Col 
del Vallonetto (8,412'). On the opposite 
side of the Stura three narrow glens 
open in succession, leading to as many 
snow -passes over the main chain of the 
Maritime Alps, whose highest summit in 
this portion of the range is the Mont 
Tinibras (10,220'). 

Bersesio, about 4 hrs. above Yi- 
nadio, 'has a very tolerable mountain 
inn.' — [M.] The head of the valley of 
the Stura here presents very wild rock 
scenery. South of the pass which lies 
in front is the Mon t Enchastraye (9,74;'). 
and in the opposite direction the Monte 



della Scaletta (9,508') separates the head 
waters of the Stura from those of the 
Maira. From the village of Argentera 
(5,59 6'), where there is a poor inn, the 
passes of Pouriac (8,360') and Scaletta 
(8,619'), which lie respectively close to 
the above-named peaks, lead — the first 
into the head of the valley of the Tinea, 
the second into the Yal Maira by Ac- 
ceglio, its highest village. 

Having passed Argentera, the path 
mounts direct to the Col, before reaching 
which it skirts a small lake or tarn, 
Lago della Maddalena, the source of the 
Stura, supposed to be at the same time 
the source of the Ubayette, which bursts 
out from the side of the mountain on the 
French side, a short distance below the 
summit of the pass. 

The Col de V Argentihre, called also Col 
della Maddalena (6,545'), the lowest and 
most accessible passage over the Alps 
between the Mont Genevre and the Col 
di Tenda, has been the scene of events 
of some historic interest. In 1513, 
Francis I. succeeded in conducting his 
army over this pass from France into 
the plains of Piedmont, and this was pro- 
bably the first occasion on which can- 
non were transported across an Alpine 
pass inaccessible to wheel-carriages. In 
1744, the passage was again effected by 
a more considerable army, consisting of 
French and Spanish troops, under the 
command of the Prince de Conde and 
Don Philip of Spain. 

The view from the summit is rather 
extensive on the side of France. On 
the farther side of the valley of the 
Ubaye, a lofty chain, including the 
Grand Berard (9,997'), comes into view. 
Many rare plants are found in the im- 
mediate neighbourhood of the CoL in- 
cluding Eryngium alpinum, Campanula 
Allionii.a.n&Dracocephalumr uysc h ia n u m . 
It is an easy descent from the summit to 
L'Arche (5,568'), the frontier village of 
France, with a poor inn, sometimes visited 
by botanists. ' Better accommodation, 
however, will be found, chez Peneant, at 
Meyronne y where there is a comfortable 
country inn.' — [M.] From L'Arche to 
Meyronne is about an hour's walk, and 



ROUTE B VAL MAIEA. 



13 



from thence to Barcelonette, 3j hrs. 
[Mountaineers who wish for a less easy 
and unexciting route than the beaten way 
over the Argentiere, may take a track 
which mounts from the village of Ar- 
gentera to the Colde Rioburent (8,26705 
and descends by a somewhat circuitous 
way to L'Arche. It is used only by cha- 
mois hunters and smugglers.] From 
L'Arche, or Meyronne, the Yal Maira 
(Rte. B) may be reached by the Col 
delle Monie, or the Col Sautron ; the for- 
mer is the easier and more frequented 
of the two passes. 4 At Meyronne there 
is an excellent guide to the neighbour- 
ing Alps, named Dumas.' — [M.] A 
short way farther down the valley is the 
junction of the Ubayette with the more 
considerable stream of the Ubaye. The 
track, which had previously followed the 
former valley in a NW. direction, now 
follows the course of the Ubaye, at first 
S., and then SW., to 

Barcelonette, a small town of 2,200 in- 
habitants, with a very good inn — Hotel 
du Nord, chez Maurii?. The town is 
more spacious and better built than 
might be expected in a position so re- 
mote and unfrequented. [The passes 
from hence to the neighbouring valleys 
are noticed in § 3.] 



Route B. 

CUNEO TO BARCELONETTE, BY VAL 
MAIRA. 





Hours' 


Eng. 




walking 


to. 


Dronero 


3 


It 


San Damiano 


2 


7 


Stroppo 


3 


9 


Prazzo 


. . . 1£ 


4 


Maurin 


. . . 8 (?) 


20(?) 


Barcelonette 




21 






72 


There is a 


good carriage-road from 



Cuneo to S. Darniano, and a rough 
mule-path from thence to Prazzo, and 
to Acceglio; the Col de Maurin is ac- 
cessible to pedestrians only, but there 
is a tolerable mule-path from Maurin 
to Barcelonette, down the valley of the 



Ubaye. Acceglio is the best stopping place 
in the Yal Maira above S. Damiano. 

Whoever has looked across the plain 
of Piedmont from an Alpine eminence 
must have noticed the range of the 
Monferrat Hills, lying immediately east 
of Turin, on one of whose outlyers stands 
the famous church of the Superga. 
At a not distant period — as geologists 
reckon time — when the valley of the 
Po was a gulf from whence the waters 
were slowly retiring towards the Adri- 
atic, these hills formed a group of low 
islands; and at a still later period, when 
the sea had quitted the surrounding 
plains, they served to separate the 
streams poured out from each of the 
main valleys of the surrounding Alps, 
forcing them into two main channels — 
one flowing to the S., the other to the 
N. of the hills. The first of these is 
that in which the united waters of the 
Stura, Tanaro, and Bormida, with their 
numerous affluents, roll towards the 
Adriatic, beneath the walls of Alex- 
andria. The other and more consider- 
able channel is that of the Po, which, 
issuing into the plain from its parent 
valley, receives a number of affluents 
equal to itself in volume, and, passing 
Turin, sweeps round the northern base 
of the Monferrat range, till all these 
waters are finally united a few miles E. 
of Valenza. 

The Maira and its affluent the Gran a, 
although they enter the plain very near 
to Cuneo, and for some distance run 
parallel to the Stura, join their waters 
to the Po. If the rule which attributes 
to the longest branch of a great river 
the distinction of bearing its name were 
constantly observed, the source of the 
Po would be sought at the head of the 
Yal Maira, and that valley would not 
have been so much, and so undeservedly, 
neglected by geographers and by travel- 
lers as it has hitherto been. 

Prom Cuneo to the fine cheerful 
country town of Dronero (Inn ; Corona 
Grossa) the road runs over a tolerably 
level country, skirting the hills, and 
crossing the Grana torrent near the 
opening of Yal Grana (Rte. C). 



14 



MARITIME ALPS. § 2. 



ARGEXTIERE DISTRICT. 



Those who wish to avoid heat and dust, 
and to save time, will hire a light 
vehicle at Cuneo, in which they may 
accomplish the distance to San Damiano 
in about 3 1 hours, or less in descending 
from thence to Cuneo. 

San Damiano (2,47 7') has a very 
tolerable inn; it is finely situated, in 
jhe lower open part of V. Maira, sur- 
rounded by rich cultivation and fine 
trees. Above the village the valley 
contracts, and speedily assumes the 
character which it maintains for a 
great part of its length — that of a deep 
narrow trench cut into sedimentary 
rocks. The similarity of character 
between the main valley and many of 
its tributary glens shows that their 
actual form is due to the mode of dis- 
integration of the strata through which 
they pass. The torrent of the Maira in 
most places runs in a mere cleft at the 
bottom of the trench, between walls of 
rock nearly vertical, so that it is 
scarcely anywhere accessible. The track 
leading to Stroppo is carried along the 
steep N. side of the valley, often a mere 
notch cut into the rock, which is worn 
into surfaces so slippery as to make it 
surprising that laden mules can safely 
pass. Exposed to the full force of the 
sun in a low narrow valley, the way is 
oppressively hot in summer, and should 
be passed either in early morning or 
towards evening. Above Alma, where 
the valley opens a little, the glen of 
Albaretto on the S. side of the valley, 
leads over the ridge which separates 
this from the Val Grana. Approaching 
Stroppo (3,057'), where there is a small 
inn, the valley becomes still narrower 
and wilder. 

[From hence runs a path to the N., 
leading over the Col deila Bicocca 
(7,611') to Castel Delfino, in Val 
Vraita. The ravine descending from 
the pass towards the Val Maira is so 
steep and precipitous as to be utterly 
impassable, and the paths from Stroppo 
and from Prazzo wind respectively 
over the slopes of the mountains on 
the E. and W. sides of the ravine, to 
gain the upper basin which leads to 



the Col. The track from Stroppo, after 
a rather long and steep ascent, passes 
over a projecting spur of the mountain 
which commands a very fine view to the 
S. of the higher peaks of the Maritime 
Alps, seen beyond the nearer range 
separating the Maira from the Stura. 
From hence there is a gentle descent to 
the village of Elva. Silene vallesia, and 
Saxifraya diapensioides, with other rare 
plants, are found hereabouts. The 
scenery from thence to the pass is very 
fine, and the peak of the Pelvo di Elva 
(10,056'), rising to the W. so steeply 
as to leave no space on which snow 
can lodge, is a noble object. From 
the summit a still more commanding 
eminence attracts the eyes of the moun- 
taineer. Nearly due N., at a distance of 
about nine miles, the Monte Viso rises 
above all intermediate objects, and 
displays in successive tiers of rock and 
ice- slope the summit long deemed ut- 
terly inaccessible. This range S. of 
Castel ])elfino (Rte. D), is almost the 
only quarter from whence it is possible 
to obtain a good view of the side of 
the peak by which alone it has been 
found possible to attack it with suc- 
cess. The ordinary path from the Col 
descends to the small village of Bel- 
lino, about 2 m. above Castel Del- 
hno. There is a more direct way to the 
latter village, not to be found without a 
guide.] 

At Prazzo, the next village in Val 
Maira above Stroppo, there is an inn, 
said to be tolerably good. On the 
way between the two villages, on the 
S. side of the valley, is the opening 
of the Valle della Marmora, whose 
eastern branch leads to the Col del 
Mulo (Rte. C), while the W. branch 
— Val del Preit — is terminated by the 
Va llonetto Pass, above Pietra Porzio. 
(See Rte. A). Among debris above 
Prazzo is found the extremely rare 
Artemisia pedemontana. 

Information as to the passes between 
the head of the Val Maira and the ad- 
jacent valleys of the Stura, the Ubaye, 
and the Vraita, is utterly wanting. 
Seen from a distance, there can be no 



ROUTE D. VAL VRAITA. 



15 



want of wild and grand rock scenery. 
The most direct course to Barcelonette 
is from the village of Acceglio, the last 
in Val Maira, where there is a very 
tolerable inn, to L'Arche (Rte. A), 
by the Col delle Monie or the Col de 
Sautron, passes of about equal height. 
A more interesting, but longer, course 
is that by the Col de Maurin (9,143'?), 
lying in the midst of rugged peaks. 
The highest summits — the Aiguille de 
Chambeyron (11,155'), to the SW., and 
the Pointe Haute de Mary (10,537'), to 
the N. — are on the French side of the 
watershed. The first inhabited place 
on the W. side is Maurin, the last com- 
mune in the valley of the Ubaye. At 
the hamlet of Maljasset accommodation 
for the night may be obtained. Several 
high and rather difficult passes lead 
from Maurin in various directions (see 
§ 4) ; the only easy exit is by the 
valley of the Ubaye, conducting in 
about 21 miles to Barcelonette (Rte. 
A). 



Route C. 

CTJNEO TO PRAZZO, BY VAL GRAN A. 

Hours' Eng. 

walking m. 
Caraglio 2§ 10 
Castelmagno 4 12 
Prazzo (by Col del Mulo) __8_(?) 2Q( ?) 

14| 42 

The Val Grana is a deep indentation 
in the range which separates the valleys 
of the Stura and the Maira, not pene- 
trating, however, so far as the main 
chain from which that range projects. 
At the head of the valley, where the 
ridges which enclose it on either side 
converge, there is a slight depression, 
which is easily accessible from the 
valley of the Stura on the one hand, or 
from the Yalle della Marmora, a tribu- 
tary of Val Maira, on the other. The 
Val Grana is said to be exceedingly 
picturesque, the lower part being open 
and richly wooded ; while above Castel- 
magno the track is carried for several 



miles through a narrow cleft between 
precipitous rocks whose summits range 
from 7,000 to 8,000 feet in height. 

Caraglio, at the opening of the val- 
ley, connected with Cuneo by a good 
road, is but little above the level of 
the plain of W. Piedmont. There is a 
char-road from Caraglio to Val Grana, 
the chief village in the valley, and from 
thence to Monterosso (2,785'). From 
thence Demonte, in the valley of the 
Stura, may be reached by the Col delV 
Ortica (5,928'). From Monterosso the 
mule-track to the Col del Mulo follows 
the stream to Castelmagno, the last vil- 
lage, and from thence ascends towards 
the head of the valley. On the right is 
a foot track over the Col de Siboulet to 
the Val Albaretto, a narrow glen open- 
ing upon the Maira, between Alma 
and Stroppo (Route B). The mule- 
track bears somewhat to the left, and 
finally attains the Col del Mulo (8,422'), 
only about 260 feet lower than the 
adjoining summit of the Cima delV Omo. 
The course to reach the Val Maira now 
turns due N., at right angles to that 
hitherto followed, descending through 
the Voile della Marmora, and joining 
the Maira a short distance below Prazzo. 
From the Col del Mulo, Demonte may 
be reached by following the course of 
the Arma torrent, and it is said that 
another track leads nearly due S. to 
Sambuco. 

[ Further information as to the Val 
Grana and the above-named passes is 
much desired.] 



Route D. 

SALUZZO TO BARCELONETTE — VAL 
VRAITA, 



Eng. 



Hours' 
walking 
Venasca . . 4 

Sampeyre ... 3 
Castel Delfino . . 2 
Maurin (by Col de 

l'Autaret) 6 15 

Barcelonette . . . 7 21 
22 6?i 



14 



ig 



MARITIME ALPS. § 2. ARGEXTIERE DISTRICT. 



Saluzzo (Inn: Corona Grossa — very 
good; 4 H. du Coq' [M.]) is easily ac- 
cessible from all parts of Piedmont 
by a branch-line from the Turin, and | 
Cuneo railway. It stands at the foot I 
of the mountain range which separates 
the head waters of the Po from those 
of the Vraita. There is a carriage- 
road to Sampeyre, in parts very dusty, 
and a char- road from thence to Cas- 
tel Delfino. ' Carriage with two horses 
to Sampevre, 25 fir. — time, 4j hrs.' — 
[W. M.] * 

To reach the opening of Yal Vraita, 
the road runs S. from Saluzzo to 
Verzuolo along the base of the hills, 
and a little beyond that village bends 
to the W. towards the opening of the 
valley, passing Piasco, from whence it 
follows the left bank of the Vraita to 
Venasca (1,768'). Beyond this the road 
begins to ascend, passing the opening 
of the Vallone di Girba, a short tribu- 
tary glen, through which lies a pass 
to Paesana, in the valley of the Po — 
and in the course of the next 10 miles 
rises about 1,400 feet to Sampeyre, the 
principal village of the valley (Inn : 
La Croix Blanche, rough, but tolerably 
good). The Val Vraita presents a 
marked contrast to the neighbouring 
Val Maira, being comparatively wide 
and open, with level ground by the river, 
well planted with walnuts; and moun- 
tains on either side of more gentle 
inclination, covered with pine forests, 
here and there giving way to bright 
green pastures. The char-road is 
carried along the valley with a con- 
tinued gradual ascent to Castel Delfino, 
or Chateau Dai{phi?i(4,340'). The only 
inn, a very humble one, is kept by 
Joseph Antoine Rua, an old blind 
man, utterly incompetent to provide 
for the wants of strangers. There is no 
point in the western Alps where accom- 
modation is more needed than at the 
head of Val Vraita, especially since it 
has been shown that the Monte Viso is 
accessible from this side (see § 4). 

Immediately to the VV. of Castel Del- 
fino rises a projecting mountain promon- 
tory, which is connected by a range of 



rugged peaks with the Grand Rioburent 
(11,142'), the highest summit in the 
main chain S. of Monte Viso. On the 
| N. and S. sides of this lofty group are 
two Alpine glens, whose torrents, unit- 
ing at Castel Delfino, form the Vraita. 
The more direct route to Barcelonette 
lies through the southern branch, called 
Val di Bellino. It contains but the 
single village of Bellino, about an hour's 
walk from Castel Delfino. After pass- 
ing Bellino, the scenery of the valley 
increases in grandeur. A steep ascent 
leads to a wild amphitheatre enclosed 
by precipitous rocks. The track to the 
Col de VAutaret, which is passable, 
though not easy, for horses, follows the 
torrent which descends from the W. to 
a higher and more contracted basin 
lying in the midst of rugged peak?, 
from whence there is no apparent exit. 
The ascent from hence to the Col is 
pathless, but easy enough until the last 
slope of steep debris. The top is a 
mere ridge. 'I dismounted for the de- 
scent, which commenced without any 
visible path down the loose stones and 
debris, as on the other side, and was 
very disagreeable walking. Below the 
valley opened, and afterwards descended 
sharply through large masses of rock to 
the pastures below. We reached the 
top about 3.30 p.m., and got to Majasset 
about 6, the last part of the way down 
being easy walking. We went to the 
inn mentioned by Murray, found the 
beds very comfortable, and food good. 
The charges were high.' — [C. L. W.] 

Prom the head of the Val di Bellino 
a path turns S. leading to the sources of 
the Maira, over a pass called (?) Colde 
Boi (8,668'). The passes from Maurin 
to the valley of the Guil are noticed 
in § 4. 

The northern of the two valleys 
which meet at Castel Delfino is called 
Val di Chianale, and the chief village, 
If hours above Castel Delfino, is Ponte 
Chianale. Around this point, as a 
centre, the main chain connecting the 
Rioburent with the Viso extends in 
a lofty semicircle of rugged summits 
approaching to 10,000 feet in height. 



ROUTE A. VALLEY OF THE TINEA. 



17 



Not less than six passes traverse the 
chain, all of them high, and but two, the 
Col de Longet, and Col dell'Agnello, 
are said to be practicable for mules. For 
these passes see § 4, Rtes, E and F. 



SECTION 3. 

BASSES ALPES VALLEYS OF THE 

UBAYE 7 VERDONy TINEA, AND VAR. 

To judge from the scanty information 
to be found in published works, and 
the equally slight amount which the 
editor has been able to obtain from 
other sources, there is no part of the 
Alpine chain which has been so im- 
perfectly explored as the valleys — all 
now included in French territory — 
which lie between the western and 
southern ramifications of the Maritime 
Alps. The accommodation to be found 
in the village inns is certainly poor 
enough, but not so miserable as in 
Dauphin e ; and except at Barcelonette 
and Alios there is no place which 
appears to be well- suited for head- 
quarters. Admitting that the facilities 
for travelling are not such as to attract 
ordinary tourists, it is somewhat sur- 
prising that amongst the many visitors 
to Nice some should not be tempted to 
venture into valleys near at hand, 
abounding in picturesque scenery, and 
accessible throughout the greater part 
of the year. A good deal of valuable 
information as to the geology of the 
valleys of the Tinea and Var is to be 
found in the memoirs of Professor Sis- 
monda, already referred to, unaccom- 
panied, however, by topographical 
details likely to be of service to a tra- 
veller. No reliable information as to 
distances can be given in regard to the 
following routes, which are indicated 
rather than described. 



Route A. 

NICE TO BARCELONETTE — VALLEY OF 
THE TINEA. 

A rough char-road leads N. from 
Nice along the right bank of the Pa- 
glione to St. Andre. On the way it 
passes, about 2 miles from Nice, the 
very ancient monastery of St. Pons, 
founded in 775, destroyed by the Sara- 
cens in 890, and rebuilt in the tenth 
century. The ruined castle of St. An- 
dre is said to command a fine view. 
Leaving the Paglione, the road con- 
tinues due N. through the narrow defile 
of the Rio Secco to Tourette, a pictur - 
esque village 3 hrs. from Nice, sur- 
rounded by limestone mountains of 
neocomian formation. On the ridge 
separating this from the next valley of 
Contes is the deserted village of Cha- 
teauneuf, which served in the middle 
ages as a place of refuge to the people 
of Nice when forced to fly from Turkish 
corsairs, It has been deserted owing 
to the want of water, which is very 
generally complained of amongst these 
southern spurs of the Maritime Alps. 

In about 3 hrs. from Tourette the 
mule -track, crossing a low pass at the 
head of the Val di Bio Secco, reaches 
Levenzo, a village about 1,850 feet in 
height, overlooking the junction of the 
Vesubia with the Var. A steep and 
rough descent leads to a bridge close to 
the junction, over which passes the track 
leading along the left bank of the Yar, 
in about 5 m. to the point where the 
Tinea joins that river. Unlike the Var, 
whose general course is serpentine, 
the Tinea flows for many miles in a 
nearly straight channel a little E. of S. 
The upper portion of the valley runs 
parallel to the great mass of meta- 
morphic rocks (gneiss, mica-schist, 
&c), which extends from the Mont 
Enchastraye nearly to the Col di 
Tenda. In the southern part of its 
course between San Salvatore and its 
junction with the Var, the Tinea tra- 
verses a succession of conglomerates, 
more or less altered limestones, and ar- 
gillaceous schists, referred by geologists 



18 



MARITIME ALPS. § 3. BASSES ALPS. 



to the lias, jura limestones, and the I 
inferior members of the cretaceous 
series. The valley is deeply cut into 
these strata, and the villages, which 
occur at rather long intervals, are for 
the most part perched on the steep 
slopes of the mountains. 

The first village of any importance is 
Clanzo (2,293'), standing above the 
opening of a lateral valley, through 
which a torrent descends from the Mont 
Tournairet (6,805'). Next comes the 
village of Maira, and a little beyond 
it to the XE. is the opening of a lateral 
valley called Boulinetta, leading' to Val- 
diblora, where are some rich iron-mines. 
On the spur of the mountain, lying 
between the Tinea and the Boulinetta 
torrent, stands Rimplas (3,366'), and a 
few miles farther up the valley of the 
Tinea is San Salvatore (1,709'), the 
best halting-place for a pedestrian be- 
tween Levenzo and San Stefano. Op- 
posite to San Salvatore is a glen, called 
Vallone di Mionieira, leading up to the 
Mont Meunier (9,318'). An active 
mountaineer would probably find no 
difficulty in reaching the summit, and 
descending from thence to Guillaumes 
in the valley of the Var (lite. B). 

About 12 m. above San Salvatore is 
Isola (2,986'), from whence a path leads 
over the Col di Frerna Morta to the 
Baths of Valdieri (§ 1), and at an equal 
distance beyond Isola is the last village 
in the valley — San Stefano (3,848'). 
"While the range to the NW. is alto- 
gether composed of gneiss,the mountains 
on the opposite side of the river show 
in succession the series of secondary 
rocks commencing with the lias, in some 
places, especially towards the head of 
the valley, overlaid by nummulitic lime- 
stone and macigno. In less than 1 hr. 
above San Stefano, the valley of the 
Tinea divides into two branches, each 
of them leading to a pass over the 
range which divides the county of Nice 
from Provence. The X. branch of the 
stream descends from the Mont En- 
chastraye, and communicates on the 
one hand with the valley of the Stura 
by the Col de Pouriac, leading to the 



village of Argentiere (§ 2), and on the 
other with the Ubaye by the Col des 
Granges. The descent on the French 
side of the latter pass lies along the Ver- 
sa n torrent, which falls into the Ubaye 
about 2 hrs. above Barcelonette. The 
southern of the two branches of the 
Tinea traverses a wild dreary glen, 
called Vol di Sestrieres. After parsing 
the hamlet of San Dalmazzo il Seluatico, 
the mule-track mounts a little N. of 
W. to the Col de Planton. From thence 
the traveller may either follow the valley 
of the Bachelard torrent, first to the W. 
and then due N., reaching the Ubaye 
about two miles below the town,or he may 
take a more direct track from the hamlet 
of Bellons, over the Colde Fours to 

Barcelonette (Hotel du Xord— good). 
See § 2, Bte, A. 



Houte B. 

NICE TO COLMAE — VALLEY OF THE 
VAK. 

From the junction of the Yar and Ti- 
nea (see last Boute) the first-named 
stream preserves a nearly straight di- 
rection from W. to E. for about 25 
miles, flowing parallel to the general 
strike of the strata through a narrow 
defile which it has excavated through 
cretaceous and nummulitic rocks. The 
principal villages are Poggetto Tenters, 
belonging to the country of Xice, and 
Emrevaux in Provence. From thence 
there is a char-road by Annot and the 
valley of the Vaire torrent,which reaches 
the Yerdon about 1 2 miles below Col- 
mar. Beyond Entrevaux the valley of 
the Yar makes a rapid bend,mounting to 
the NE. for fully 12 miles to Guillaumes 
(2,697'), the chief village in the upper 
part of the valley. From hence are two 
mountain paths into the upper valley of 
the Tinea — one by the Col de Crous 
(8,316'), passing the mining village of 
Peona ; the other by the Col di Bal, 
I immediately under the peak of the Cima 
I di Bal (9,354'), leads more directly to 



ROUTE D. VALLEY OF THE UBAYE. 



19 



San Stefano. Above Guillaumes the Yar 
makes another bend to the NW., which 
leads to the last village, Entraunes, en- 
closed on every side by high and steep 
mountain ranges. One pass — the Col 
de Jallorques — leads to S. Dalmazzo il 
Selvatico (see last Route) ; another due 
N. reaches the Bachelard torrent near 
Bellons, and thus communicates with 
Barcelonette (Rte. A, § 2) ; while the 
third, a comparatively frequented mule- 
track, leads over the range W, of En- 
traunes by the Col des Champs to Col- 
mar, a small fortified town near the 
head of the valley of the Yerdon, 



Route C. 

COLMAR TO BARCELONETTE, 
About 23 Eng. miles. 8i hrs. walk. 

On the French side of the range which 
separates the sources of the Yar from 
those of the Yerdon is a projecting but- 
tress of mountain, crowned by the Mont 
Pela, whose height has been perhaps 
exaggerated in the following extract. 
The district has been scarcely visited by 
strangers, with the exception of some 
Trench botanists who have reaped a 
rich harvest of rare plants in the neigh- 
bourhood of the Lac d'Allos. 

The little town of Alios stands in 
the valley of the Yerdon, about 5 m. 
above Colmar. 'The accommodations 
for travellers are poor, but the people 
very obliging. The neighbourhood is 
scarcely known to English travellers, 
but it well deserves their examination, 
and an excursion should be made to the 
Lac d'Allos, a distance of about 4 hrs. 
The route to it lies by the village of 
Champ Richard. The lake is one of 
the largest and most profound in the 
Erench Alps, though it is situated at 
the height of 7,500 English ft. Its 
form is almost circular, and its circum- 
ference is nearly 4 miles. The Mont 
Pela, which rises from the side of the 
lake, has an elevation of 10,500 ft., 
more than 3,000 above the lake. There 
is perhaps no spot in the Alps more 

c 



wild and sequestered than the valley of 
this lake. The surrounding mountains 
are covered with snow and a few stunted 
pines, amidst vast precipices and deep 
ravines. The lake is remarkable for 
its outlet, which, after a course under 
ground for 1,500 feet, bursts into the 
valley, and, after foaming through a 
succession of cascades, meanders in gen- 
tleness and beauty through pasturages 
rich in vegetation, 

* From Alios to Barcelonette the route 
lies up the valley of the Verdon, and, 
after passing the village of La Foax 
and crossing a stone bridge, follows the 
path to the Col de St Peire, which 
divides the valley of Yerdon from that 
of Barcelonette. It is a fine pasturage 
to the summit ; and from it a charming 
view is suddenly presented on looking 
up the valley of the Ubaye. The de- 
scent to Barcelonette from the Col is 
exceedingly romantic, leading down 
through a valley of great boldness richly 
wooded. There is an excellent path 
down to the valley of the Ubaye, but 
the descent is steep and fatiguing. 
Barcelonette may be reached on foot 
in 7 hours from Alios.' — [M.] There 
is another track from Alios to the 
valley of the Ubaye, which reaches 
that river about 4 miles above Le 
Lauzet, on the char-road leading from 
Barcelonette to Embrun. (See Rte, 
D.) 

Route D. 

BARCELONETTE TO EMBRUN — — VALLEY 
OF THE UBAYE. 

The Ubaye is formed by the union of 
the numerous torrents that descend be- 
tween the main range of the Alps S. of 
Monte Yiso and another high range 
extending from that mountain to the 
SW., which divides the valleys of the 
Ubaye and the Guil (§4). The former 
flows through a pastoral valley which, 
in summer, supports a vast number of 
sheep that are pastured in winter on the 
plains of Provence, especially that of 
2 



20 



MARITIME ALPS. 



§ 3. BASSES ALPS. 



La Crau, near Aries. This poor moun- 
tain district has been the scene of many 
encounters between the troops of the 
Dukes of Savoy and those of France. 
For two centuries it was held by the 
former till exchanged for the valleys of 
Pragelas and Exilles, formerly belong- 
ing to France. From its principal 
source on the W. side of the Rioburent 
to its junction with the Durance, the 
Ubaye has a course of about 50 miles. 
The new char-road which has been for 
many years in course of construction 
between Barcelonette and the Durance 
is probably now completed, so that the 
valley is now comparatively easy of 
access. The various mountain passes 
leading into the valleys of the Stura, 
Maira, and Vraita, have been noticed in 
§ 2 ; those connecting it with the Tinea, 
the Var, and the Yerdon, are referred to 
in the present section ; while the passes 
into the valley of the Guil find their 
place in § 4. 

Below Barcelonette the scenery of the 
valley is of a bare and somewhat dreary 
character, owing to the rapid disinte- 
gration of the oolitic rocks. Passing the 
village of St. Pons, where the ruins of a 
castle are finely placed, the road tra- 
verses the more considerable villages of 
Thuiles and Meolans, and reaches the 
opening of a lateral valley, through 
which the torrent of St. Bartelemi flows 
from the S. through nummulitic rocks. 
Through this valley, passing a village of 
the same name, lies a pass to Alios (Rte 
C). 5 or 6 miles lower down the Ubaye 
is Le Lauzet, the most picturesque spot 
in the entire valley. A small lake, said 
to abound in trout, is surrounded by 
wooded slopes and patches of cultivated 
land. Below this point the valley 
resumes its natural wild and barren 
aspect all the way to its junction with 
the Durance. 

Below Le Lauzet the L^baye passes 
through a narrow defile, and the road 
reaches the lower level of the valley 



by a long series of zigzags skilfully 
constructed amid steep rocks: — 4 Below 
these tourniquets the valley offers some 
of its most wild and grand scenes. On 
looking back from the path carried 
along the brink of the precipices high 
above the torrent, the Ubaye is seen in 
its deep course issuing from the defile of 
La Tour, and beyond, the grand forms 
of the mountain of Cugulion des Trois 
Eveques, which divides the valley of 
Barcelonette from that of the Var; the 
scene is one of savage dreariness.' — 
[M. ] If the traveller be bound for Gap 
he should keep to the road which 
mounts on the left bank of the stream 
passing La Breole, until he reaches a 
bridge about 4 miles below the junction 
of the Ubaye with the Durance. From 
thence there is a direct char-road to 
Gap, passing Bemollon. 

Should his destination be to Embrunjt 
is necessary to cross the river by a rapid 
descent below St. Vincent to the village 
of Ubaye, and thence to ascend due N. 
over the shoulder of the mountain range 
which lies in the angle between the 
Ubaye and the Durance. This pass, 
called Col de Pontis, leads to the village 
of Pontis, and from thence to the high 
road from Gap to Embrun, about 7 miles 
below the latter town, where it crosses 
to the left bank of the Durance, opposite 
to the village of Savines. Embrun 
(Inn: Hotel de Milan, fair) is connected 
with Grenoble by diligence, passing 
through Gap, or by a rather longer 
and more interesting route by Brian- 
con and the Col de Lautaret (§ 8). 

Pedestrians going from Barcelonette 
to Embrun may avoid the hot and not 
very interesting walk through the lower 
valley of the Ubaye, by leaving the 
char-road near to Revel, opposite the 
village of Meolans. From thence two 
passes of about equal length lead to 
Embrun — the Col de Dormillouse to the 
| NW., and the Col de VEyssalette to the 
XE. The latter is 8,271 feet in height. 



21 



CHAPTER n. 
COTTIAN ALPS. 



Section 4. 

viso DISTRICT. 

Route A — Saluzzo to Mont Dauphin — Col 

de la Traversette . . .23 
Route B — Ascent of Monte Viso — Tour of 

Monte Viso . .27 

Route C — Barcelonette to Guilestre — Col 

de Vara 30 

Route D — Barcelonette to St. Veran and 

Queyras 30 

Route E — Castel Delfino to Guilestre, by 

Col de Longet and Col de 

Cristillan . . . .31 
Route F — Castel Delfino to Queyras, by 

Ponte Chianale . . 32 

Section 5. 
waldensian district. 

Route A — Pinerolo to Mont Dauphin— Col 

de la Croix . . . .34 
Route B — Pinerolo to Cesanne — Col de 

Sestrieres . . . .35 
Route C — La Tour de Luserne to Perouse, 

by Val Angrogna - . .37 
Route D — Perouse to Abries, by the Col 

d'Abries . . . .37 
Route E — Perouse to Pragelas — Val de 

Massel 38 

Route F — Perouse to Cesanne, by Rodoret 38 



Section 6. 
genevre district. 



Route A — Susa to Briancon — the Mont 

Genevre 39 

Route B — Queyras to Briancon, by Col 

d'lzouard . . . .40 
Route C — Abries to Cesanne . . .41 
Route D — Briancon to St. Michel— Col de 

Galibier 41 

Route E — Briancon to Modane — Mont 

Thabor 42 

Route F — Modane to Cesanne — Tunnel 

through the Alps . . .45 



Section 7. 
cenis district. 

Route A — Chambery to Turin— Mont Cenis 46 
Route B — Susa to Bessans — Roche Melon 52 
Route C — Bramans to Susa — Col du Cla- 

pier 53 

Route D — Bramans to Exilles — Mont 

d' Am bin 58 

Route E — Bardonneche to Bramans, by 

Rochemolle . . . .58 



In the Panorama of the Alps seen from 
the Superga, or any high ground about 
Turin, the most conspicuous objects in 
the western horizon are the peaks of 
the Roche Melon and the Monte Viso. 
The first, 11,621 feet in height, stands 
about WNW. from Turin on the N. 
side of the opening of the valley of the 
Dora Riparia ; the second still more 
commanding peak (12,643') lies about 
due SW. The portion of the main 
chain of the Alps lying between these 
limits forms the range of the Cottian 
Alps. A line drawn through the crest 
of this range marks a deep indentation 



in the general N. and S. direction of 
the main chain between Mont Blanc 
and the Mediterranean. Adopting the 
common simile which likens the Alps 
to a rampart between France and Italy, 
the two peaks above spoken of may be 
considered as the salient angles of two 
great bastions, whose reentering angle, 
looking from the side of France, is the 
peak of the Mont Tabor. From the 
Roche Melon to the Tabor the direc- 
tion is but little S. of W., while from 
thence to the Viso the chain runs about 
due SE. The direction of the valleys 
on both sides of the chain is very 



22 



COTTIAN ALPS. § 4. VISO DISTRICT. 



irregular, evidencing the action of com- 
plicated causes in the elevation of the 
mass ; but the predominant forces, es- 
pecially on the French side, seem to 
have operated along the line from 
NW. to SE. On the W. side, the 
Cottian chain is separated from the 
Alps of Dauphine by the valley of the 
Durance. The two principal sources of 
that river lie in the range immediately 
"W. of the peak of the Mont Tabor 
( 10,436'), which is separated from the 
Dauphine Alps by the Col de Galibier, 
the pass which, on geological as well as 
orographic grounds, has been fixed upon 
as the limit of the Cottian Alps in this 
direction. It is not so easy to fix with pre- 
cision the NE. limit of this range. Some 
geographers have selected the imaginary 
peak of the Mont Iseran ; but besides 
the objection derived from the non- 
existence of that mountain, it seems 
natural to regard the point in the main 
chain where it alters its direction from 
W. and E. to N. and S. as the limit 
between the Graian and Cottian Alps. 
This is, therefore, placed at the twin 
peaks of the Roche Michel and Roche 
Melon, overhanging the pass of the 
Mont Cenis. 



SECTION 4. 

VISO DISTRICT VALLEYS OF THE PO 

AND GUIL. 

The want of comfortable accommo- 
dation at any point convenient for moun- 
tain excursions has hitherto withheld 
most travellers from exploring the 
neighbourhood of Monte Viso, but the 
successful ascent of that remarkable 
peak in the summer of 1861, and the 
opening of a tolerable mountain inn at 
Crissolo in the valley of the Po, may 
help to direct new visitors to this dis- 



trict. The peak of Monte Viso is com- 
posed of chioritic slates, but on its 
eastern side serpentine appears at a 
great elevation, much varied in struc- 
ture and appearance, and sometimes 
passing into euphotide, the whole 
having been forced through the over- 
lying gneiss and mica-schist, which 
are probably altered palceozoic rocks. 
Secondary rocks of sedimentary origin, 
but so altered as to be scarcely distin- 
guishable as such, have been raised to 
a great height on the N. side of the 
mountain, especially at the head of the 
valley of the Po. The Monte Viso has 
been above compared to the salient 
angle of a bastion projecting from the 
French frontier towards the plain of 
Piedmont ; this angle is so extremely 
sharp, that if a circle be drawn round 
the mountain, more than seven- eighths 
of the circumference will lie on the side of 
Piedmont, while less than one-eighth 
will be included in the narrow valley 
which receives the head-waters of the 
Guil. The eastern face fronts the valley 
of the Po ; but the peak itself, which 
rises on the Italian side of the water- 
shed, as well as the southern slope of 
the high range which extends for about 
8 m. to the westward, pour their waters 
into the Vraita through the Val di 
Vallanta and the Val di Chianale. A 
considerable range extends to the E. 
between the valleys of the Po and 
Vraita, and subsides into the plain of 
Piedmont at the city of Saluzzo. An- 
other and loftier range on the W. side 
of the main chain separates the waters 
of the Guil from those of the Ubaye. 
Several points in this latter range rise 
to between 10,000 feet and 11,000 feet, 
but the alleged existence of a peak 
measuring 3,995 metres, or 13,107 Eng- 
lish feet (Pointe des Orches, given on 
the authority of Baron Zach), is utterly 
unfounded in fact, the height of that 
peak being not more than 10,673 feet. 



ROUTE A. VALLET OF THE PO. 



23 



Route A. 

SALUZZO TO MONT DAUPHIN — COL DE 
LA TRAVERSETTE. 



Hours' 
walking 
Paesana ... 4 
Crissolo . . 2| 
Col de la Traversette 3" 
Abries ... 5 
Queyras . . 2| 
Mont Dauphin . 4± 

SI 



Eng. 
miles 
14 

8 

1? 



651 



Saluzzo (Inns : Corona Grossa, good, 
H. du Coq) is reached in If hrs. by 
railway from Tnrin. The town stands 
at the NE. base of the mountain range 
which separates the valley of the Po 
from that of the Yraita, and to enter 
either of those valleys it is necessary to 
wind for several miles round the foot 
of the hills along a hot and dusty road, 
so that it is advisable to hire a carriage 
(charge 20 fr. with two horses, changing 
at Sanfront) or else take the omnibus 
which plies (in the afternoon ?) to Pae- 
sana. By the latter conveyance the 
traveller would probably lose the beau- 
tiful views of the Viso which con- 
stantly recur along the road. About 
half-way to Paesana, at Martiniana, the 
road fairly enters the valley wherein 
the Po has its source. About 2£ m. 
farther is the small town of Sanfront, 
and nearly 5 m. beyond, in the midst 
of rich scenery, is 

Paesana (Albergo della Kosa Eossa ; 
Alb. del Gallo, fair), the chief town in 
the valley, 1,778 feet above the sea. 
From hence there is a picturesque road, 
through wooded hills, to La Torre di 
Luserna (§ 5), passing Barge (Inn: Lion 
d'Or, good and cheap). Above Paesana 
the scenery of the main valley is very 
fine, and the peak of the Yiso becomes 
a more and more imposing object when- 
ever it comes into "view. Nearly half- 
way to Crissolo is the junction of the 
Lenta, which rises from several small 
lakes at the SE. side of the peak of 
Monte Viso. On the spur of the moun- 
tain, in the angle between the Lenta and 
the Po, is Oncino, finely situated, and 
commanding a noble view; the inn 
appears poor. 



Several passes lead from thence to 
the Val Yraita. 

The mule-track to Crissolo keeps to 
the right, along the left bank of the 
valley, which, above the junction of the 
Lenta, changes its character. The 
chestnut trees which have hitherto 
shaded the path disappear as it enters 
a wild gorge, and then emerges upon 
green meadows, bordered by willows 
and alders. Above the hamlet of 
Ostana the Po is joined by a stream, 
which has run for some distance nearly 
parallel to it, being separated by a mass 
of rock, on which stands the church of 
San Chiajfreddo, This is a sanctuary 
whereat a festa is held in the month of 
September. Part of the massive white 
building adjoining the church is used 
as an inn (Albergo della Cernaja) to 
accommodate the numerous visitors who 
gather at that period. At other times 
a traveller will fare rather better there 
than at the inn at Crissolo. The 
church, which commands a beautiful 
view, is most easily reached by a path 
which mounts in 1 minutes from the 
lowest hamlet of Crissolo, This is the 
highest village in the valley of the Po 
(4,5 44'), and consists of three hamlets, 
at the lowest of which a small inn was 
opened in 1860. Though poor enough, 
the accommodation here, or at San 
Chiaffreddo, is better than at any other 
place near to Monte Yiso. 

Crissolo is an excellent station for the 
botanist, many rare species being found 
in the immediate neighbourhood, espe- 
cially on the slopes of the mountain N. 
of the village. Amongst others, Cam- 
panula elatines, Vicia onobrychoides, 
Saxifraga diapensioides, and Sedum al- 
sinefolium, may be mentioned. 

In the jurassic rocks (?) all of them 
more or less altered by metamorphic 
action, are some extensive masses of 
dolomite inter-stratified with compara- 
tively pure limestone. In one of these 
layers of dolomite is the celebrated 
cave called La Balma di Bio Martino. 
The entrance is on the face of the 
mountain, opposite to Crissolo, and 
about 1 mile farther up the valley. A 



24 



COTTIAN ALPS. § 



4. VISO DISTRICT. 



narrow passage leads to a first spacious 
hall, beyond which a second, and then 
a third, are reached by connecting gal- 
leries. The whole is lined with stalac- 
tites, which can be seen to perfection 
only by brilliant illumination. Those 
who would enjoy the effect should 
bring Bengal lights, easily procured in 
Turin. Various marvellous stories as 
to the origin and history of the cavern 
are current among the natives. It is 
needless to say that it is merely a spe- 
cimen of a class of phenomena common 
in most limestone districts. Above 
Cfissolo are several clusters of wretched 
stone huts, the lowest and most con- 
siderable of which is called Giarumba. 
The valley now becomes thoroughly 
Alpine in character : huge blocks fallen 
from the mountains on either side, or 
borne down by the glacier which once 
filled the entire valley, are strewn in 
wild confusion, but in the midst is a 
small grassy plain, called the Piano di 
Fiorenza — the filled-up bed of an an- 
cient lake — which in summer produces 
a rich variety of rare Alpine plants. 
Cardamine thalictroides may be found 
amongst the debris and the crevices of 
rocks in the ascent to the next and 
highest plateau in the valley — the" Piano 
del Re, This is an irregular plain, 
above whose bare dark rocks, inter- 
spersed with patches of verdure, the 
eastern face of Monte ^Viso rises very 
grandly, not presenting the appear- 
ance of a continuous wall of rock, but 
rather to be likened to a range of shat- 
tered towers and pinnacles, with many 
intervening gaps and chasms, increasing 
gradually in height from the N. end, 
over which lies the pass of the Traver- 
sette, to the highest peak, which forms 
the S. extremity of the range visible 
from this point. 

[From hence a pass, bearing on the 
Government map the singular name of 
Col del Color del Porco (9,604'), and 
called by the natives Col del Porco, leads 
direct to the extreme head of the vallev 
of the Guil. To the left of the Piano 
del Re the largest of the torrents that 
form the Po is seen falling over steep 



rocks. A somewhat arduous ascent by 
a rough path leads on that side to the 
group of small dark lakes that are held 
to be the proper sources of the Po. From 
thence a ravine rising rapidly to the 
SW. cuts off the highest peak of Monte 
Viso from the main mass of the moun- 
tain, thus throwing it altogether on the 
Italian side of the watershed. More 
nearly due W. of the highest lake is a 
steep bank of grass- grown fragments 
of rock, looking like an ancient moraine. 
Above and somewhat to the rt. of this 
is a couloir or narrow ravine leading 
up to the i notch in the ridge, which 
forms the actual Col. On the French 
side, the descent is by a wider and 
longer ravine, the right side of which 
appears the most practicable. It is 
possible to reach the Col de Vallante 
by bearing to the left when on a level 
with that Col, crossing rocky slopes and 
snow beds. 'It is doubtful whether we 
saved time by this, and whether it would 
not have been better to descend lower 
and remount to the Vallante.' Time 
from Piano del Re to Col del Porco, 2 
hrs. 5 — from Col del Porco to Col di 
Vallanta, if hr.— [W.M.] 

The way to the Col de la Traversette 
lies away from the lakes to the right, or 
N. from the Piano del Re ; it is at first 
not steep, but after entering a hollow, 
where snow lies for the greater part of 
the year, the real ascent begins. This 
hollow forms the extreme NW. angle 
of the valley of the Po, and is closed at 
the N. side by the Monte Meidassa 
( 10,991'), which separates it from the 
head-waters of the Pellice. The shortest 
way to the Col now mounts nearly due 
W. over steep slopes of debris or snow, 
according to the season, till the upper 
and steeper part of the ascent is reached, 
where it is necessary to keep to the 
track, which mounts with tolerable ra- 
pidity, but without the slightest real 
difficulty, to the summit. About 300 
feet below the crest of the ridge is the 
remarkable tunnel cut through the 
mountain in 1480, by Ludovico II., 
Marquis of Saluzzo, to facilitate inter- 
course between his territory and the 



ROUTE A. — COL DE LA TRAVEESETTE. 



25 



adjoining valleys of Dauphine. It was 
not only the earliest work of the kind, 
but still remains one of the most re- 
markable, the height of the tunnel above 
the sea exceeding 9,500 feet. It has 
been repeatedly closed by the falling of 
rocks, but after a long period of disuse 
was cleared out a few years ago. The 
opening is, however, obstructed by 
snow throughout the greater part of 
the year, which remains, in some cold 
seasons, such as 1860, until the month 
of July. The actual crest of th$ ridge, 
or Col de la Traversette, is about 10,000 
feet in height, according to Professor 
Forbes, 3^ hrs. from Crissolo ascend- 
ing, and about 2 J descending. To those 
who approach from the side of France, 
the view suddenly unfolded at the sum- 
mit, extending, in clear weather, across 
the entire plain of Piedmont as far as 
Milan, is extremely striking. The near 
view is, however, more imposing from 
a point lower down ; where, on turning 
the angle of a rock, the adjoining mass 
of Monte Yiso, not seen from the actual 
summit, comes out very grandly. 

The descent on the French side is not 
nearly so steep as that towards Pied- 
mont. In parts the ancient paved track 
is visible, but in most places it has been 
destroyed, or covered over by debris. 
Half an hour in the descent — 1 hour 
ascending — separates the barren ridge 
of the pass from Alpine pastures of ex- 
treme beauty, which in the early sum- 
mer are covered with rare and exquisite 
flowers. Here stood a bergerie of larger 
dimensions than usual, but it was crushed 
by the heavy snows of the spring of 
1860, and does not appear to have been 
since rebuilt. From hence there is 
a pass into the valley of the Pellice, 
by the Col de Seylieres, accessible in 
f hr. from the old bergerie. Lower 
down in the valley, on the left bank of 
the Guil, are the chalets of La Ruine, 
where a traveller wishing to explore this 
side of Monte Viso may obtain very 
tolerable night-quarters. 

The descent from the Col into the 
valley of the Guil is effected by a short 
lateral valley, or hollow, from whence 



there is no view of the peak of Monte 
Yiso, and by following the regular track 
that view is not obtained until you are 
already some miles away from the base 
of the peak. Those who do not object 
to less than 1 hour's extra march over 
rough ground, will be well rewarded if 
they will quit the regular track at the 
point where it first enters upon the 
Alpine pastures, and bear away to the 
left towards the head of the valley of 
the Guil, at the actual base of Monte 
Viso. An extremely striking and grand 
scene is here presented. The head of 
the valley, once the bed of a glacier, is 
an irregular nearly level plain, carpeted 
by Alpine plants that vegetate during 
the very short season in which the 
ground is clear of snow. It is obvious 
that a slight change of climate, whereby 
the summer heat, now barely sufficient 
for the purpose, should fail to melt the 
entire mass of snow that accumulates 
every winter, would in a few centuries 
restore the past condition of the valley. 
At the extreme head of the valley rise, 
one above the other, the huge shattered 
masses of rock that make up the peak 
of the Yiso. Neither on this nor on 
any other side is there space for any 
considerable accumulation of snow ; 
and on that account, more even than 
because of the milder climate of the 
adjoining valleys, this mountain, unlike 
every other in the Alps at all compar- 
able to it in height, bears no glaciers on 
its flanks, unless some small patches of 
frozen snow lying upon the upper ledges 
may deserve that name. To the right 
of the peak lies the snowy ridge over 
which the pass of Yallante leads into 
the Yal Vraita (Route B), and on the 
left is the very steep and rugged range 
connecting the summit with the Col del 
Porco and Col de la Traversette. 

There is a tolerable horse-track down 
the valley of the Guil to the highest 
hamlet, La Chalpe, and from thence to 
La Monta. About half-way a slight 
bend in the valley cuts off the view of 
Monte Yiso, and the scenery from 
thence to Queyras is rather tame and 
uninteresting. At La Monta, where 



2r> 



COTTIAN ALPS. § 



4. VTSO DISTRICT. 



there is a very poor and dirty inn, the 
path from the Col de la Croix (§5) 
joins the present route, and from hence 
to the junction of the Guil with the 
Durance there is a tolerable char-road. 
From La Monta it is nearly 4 m. to 
Abries, the highest village in the val- 
ley of the Guil ; the inn (Etoile) may 
be called fair for Dauphine, but is 
neither clean nor quiet. As in most of 
the country inns in this part of Trance, 
extortion will be attempted whenever it 
is thought likely to succeed, and it is 
prudent to fix prices beforehand if you 
would avoid disputes. It should be un- 
derstood that this place is 5 hours' walk 
from the foot of Monte Viso, and that 
no view of that or any other high moun- 
tain is to be obtained near to the village ; 
so that, although convenient as a halt- 
ing place, this is by no means an attrac- 
tive spot as head-quarters. 

The road from Abries to Guilestre 
passes opposite to Ville Vieilh (Inn : TEle- 
phant, apparently one of the best in the 
valley), 2 hrs. below Abries, at the 
junction of the Vol de Molines, through 
which lies the track to St, Veran 
(Rte. C). A short distance farther 
down the main valley is the Chateau de 
Queyras, picturesquely placed on a rock 
commanding the entire valley above and 
below. It contains a small garrison. 
There are two small inns here, both said 
to be tolerably good. On the right side 
of the Guil, below Queyras, is the open- 
ing of the lateral valley of Arvieux, 
through which lies a mountain route to 
Briancon (§ 6). Between Queyras and 
Guilestre the road passes through varied 
and singular scenery, very unlike in 
character that of most other Alpine 
districts. The summers being extremely 
hot, the scanty vegetation which alone 
exists on these barren mountains is 
soon burnt up, and after midsummer 
little remains beside some fragrant 
shrubby species, such as the wild laven- 
der, the hyssop, Satureja montana, &c. 
The botanist, however, finds an abun- 
dant and rich harvest in this district, 
especially in the months of June and 
July. At La Maison du Koi, 1 hr. 



above Guilestre, the road ascends the 
slope on the L bank of the Guil, cross- 
ing the shoulder of the mountain divid- 
ing that torrent from the Rioubel. Here 
the Mont Pelvoux is seen to great ad- 
vantage, towering over the head of the 
Yal Louise, and overtopping all the in- 
termediate ridges, The reddish hue 
which prevails among the rocks that 
enclose the valley of the Durance, and 
their extreme barrenness, will remind 
the traveller of the colouring and char- 
acter of scenes in Palestine, while the 
extensive records of ancient glacier 
action bring very opposite impressions 
to the fancy of the geologist. At 
some distance from the Guil, on the 
Rioubel torrent, is the village of Guil- 
estre, where there is a large inn (Hotel 
des Alpes), with tolerable accommo- 
dation, but neither clean nor reason- 
able. About 2 m. from hence the road 
enters the valley of the Durance, and 
joins the high-road from Embrun to 
Briancon immediately below the small 
fortified town of Mont Dauphin. Good 
accommodation, clean beds, and mode- 
rate charges, are found at the Cafe du 
^Nord, chez Joseph Chimat. This is 
perhaps the best stopping-place to be 
found in Dauphine — no high praise, 
however, as the district is wretchedly 
provided in this respect. This strong 
fortress is placed upon a rock nearly 
insulated at the confluence of the Guil 
with the Durance. It commands a fine 
view over the singular scenery of the 
surrounding mountains, and from some 
points the Mont Pelvoux is seen in the 
background. The diligence between 
Embrun and Briancon stops to change 
horses at the Plan de Phazy, near the foot 
of the hill, but there is a rather steep 
ascent of fully 20 minutes to reach the 
inn. Mont Dauphin is 11 m. from 
Embrun and 21 m. from Briancon. 
A so-called courier travels in a four- 
wheeled mail-cart between Guilestre 
and Abries, but the hours of start- 
ing, both in going and returning, are 
inconvenient to travellers. Horses and 
vehicles are dear in this district, espe- 
cially at Abries. A char from Guil- 



ROUTE B. ASCENT OF MONTE VISO. 



estre to Abries cost 20 francs in 1861. 
In the same year, at Abries, a horse for 
a lady, without side-saddle, was charged 
15frs. a-day ; and for a mule from thence 
to Brianeon, over the Col d'Izouard, 40 
frs. The charge for horses is said to be 
still higher 4 between the 1st and 21st of 
July, that being the time allowed by 
the French Government for cutting 
wood in the forests.' — [M.] 

Route B. 

ASCENT OF MONTE VISO TOUR OF 

MONTE VISO. 

The Monte Viso had long enjoyed a 
reputation for inaccessibility, second 
only to that of the Matterhorn, and 
due rather to the formidable appearance 
of the crags that rise tier over tier to its 
summit, than to the actual experience 
of any competent mountaineer who had 
attempted the ascent. This was for the 
first time effected in 1861 by Mr. W. 
Mathews and Mr. F. W. Jacomb, both 
members of the Alpine Club, accom- 
panied by JeanBaptiste Croz and Michel 
Croz of Chamouni. The southern face 
of the peak is the only side by which it 
appears practicable to reach a consider- 
able height without encountering serious 
preliminary difficulties, and accordingly 
it was from that side that the attempt 
was made. It has been already re- 
marked that the northern branch of the 
Val Vraita, called Val di Chianale, 
receives the drainage of the S. side of 
the Monte Viso, and of the high range, 
which, extending W. from that peak, is 
prolonged on the side of France into 
the mountain ridge separating the 
valleys of the Ubaye and the Guil. 
About 1 hr. above Castel Delfino 
(§ 2), at the hamlet of Ponte Castello, 
is the opening of the Val di Vallanta, a 
lateral glen descending due S. from 
Monte Viso. One hour above the 
junction are some chalets, called Pian 
Meyer in the Government map, where 
the traveller will find milk, cheese, 
and hay to sleep upon. Close to these 



chalets the valley forks: one branch 
mounts to the Col de Vallante, on the 
W. side of Monte Viso ; while the other, 
called Val Forcellina, leads directly to 
the base of the highest peak. The scenery 
of the Val di Vallanta is throughout very 
fine. In the lower part, near the above- 
named chalets, are many rare plants ; 
e.g. Campanula Allionii, Senecio Bal- 
bisianus, Euphrasia lanceolata ; while 
higher up are Primula marginata, Ranun- 
culus pyrenceus, and many others. 

On Aug. 29, 1861, Messrs. Mathews 
and Jacomb, with their guides, com- 
menced the ascent from the Val For- 
cellina by the terminal buttress of the 
ridge separating that valley from the 
upper Val di Vallanta. The lower 
slope is covered with arollas (Pinus 
cembra), rarely seen in this part of the 
Alpine chain, and above these by broken 
rocks. This forms the base of a de- 
tached peak called the Petit Viso, and 
to reach the main mass of the moun- 
tain it is necessary to bear to the NE. 
past the base of the peak of the Petit 
Viso. The travellers now found them- 
selves in a ravine, or broad couloir, 
running up to the left, and apparently 
leading near to the summit of the moun- 
tain. Having climbed to the head of the 
ravine, which was reached in about 5 
hours from the chalets, they found them- 
selves on the main (E. and W.) ridge 
of the mountain, upon one of the minor 
summits in the serrated range between 
the Petit Viso and the highest peak, 
and separated from the latter by a deep 
gorge. Upon this exposed summit, 
(1 1,249'), commanding a view, on the 
one hand, over the Dauphine Alps, and 
on the other far over the plain of Pied- 
mont, the party passed the night. 

* On the following day (August 30), 
as soon as it was light enough to start, 
which was at 4.30 a.m., we left our 
camping place, descended into the 
gorge, and mounted a snow- slope on 
the opposite side of it. Thence we bore 
to the left, nearly along the line of the 
reentering angle, in which the ridges 
dividing the Val Forcellina from the 
Val Vallante and the Val di Po inter- 



28 



COTTIAN ALPS. § 



4. VISO DISTRICT. 



sect each other, climbing up a succes- 
sion of very steep couloirs and faces of 
rock, covered with fragments so inse- 
curely poised that the slightest touch 
dislodged them. 

1 The summit not being visible during 
the ascent, we kept as near as practic- 
able to the edge of the precipices over- 
hanging the valley of the Po, which, 
like other portions of the mountain, are 
rent by numerous fissures. At length 
Michel Croz, who was in advance, sud- 
denly stopped, and on our shouting to 
ask him if he had reached the top, 
he replied, that he thought he had, 
but that there was another farther on. 
On joining him at 9.20 a.m., we found 
ourselves upon a rock-strewn ridge, 
while parallel to it, at a little distance, 
there was a similar one, connected with 
the first by a curving arete of snow, in- 
terrupted here and there by rocks. As 
it was impossible to say which was the 
higher, we built cairns upon each of 
them.'— [W. M.] 

The view included the entire range 
of the western Alps from Provence to 
Monte Rosa, but the great plain of 
Piedmont was concealed by haze, and 
a low bank of cloud lay along the ridge 
of the Maritime Alps, leaving it still an 
open question whether the Mediterra- 
nean be visible from the summit. Owing 
to the considerable height of the range 
S. of the valley of the Stura, it is, how- 
ever, probable that no point of the coast 
can at any time be visible, though a 
glimpse of the sea should be sometimes 
gained. 

In the succeeding season, 1862, Mr. 
P. F. Tuckett made the second ascent, 
and passed an entire night upon the 
summit. Having been hospitably re- 
ceived at a chalet rather above those of 
Pian Meyer, Mr. Tuckett ascended the 
Val Forcellina to some small lakes near 
the E. base of the Col delle Sagnette, 2 
his. from the chalet. An ascent of 2^ 
hrs., partly over rock, and partly on 
steep snow slopes, sufficed to reach the 
ridge at the base of the highest peak, 
and 1^-hr. more by the same ridge pre- 
viously climbed by Mr. Mathews took 



them to the top. 3 J hrs., exclusive of 
halts, sufficed for the descent. The out- 
line of a mountain seen in the farthest 
distance, somewhat E. of S., must appa- 
rently have belonged to the Island of 
Corsica. 

Taking a mean between the measure- 
ment by the Piedmontese engineers, a 
barometric measure by Mr. Mathews, 
and four barometer observations taken 
by Mr. Tuckett, the height of Monte 
Viso is 12,643 feet. 

Mountaineers desiring to ascend 
Monte Yiso should take a supply of 
provisions from Saluzzo and proceed 
in a carnage to Sampeyre. Prom 
thence the baggage should be conveyed 
by mule or porters as far up as possible 
in the Val Forcellina, in order to pass 
the night in the gorge near the base of 
the highest peak. Covering might be 
taken from Sampeyre or Castel Delfino, 
and firewood from the Arolla forest. 

The SE. buttress of Monte Viso is 
connected with the mountain range 
separating the valley of the Po from 
that of the Vraita, and is probably 
accessible at many points. The pass 
nearest to the Viso is the Passo delle 
Sagnette. This was the route taken by 
Messrs. Mathews and Jacomb,who, after 
achieving the ascent, desired to pass into 
the valley of the Po. 3 hrs. sufficed 
for the descent from the summit to the 
E. foot of the Col, and 20 min. more 
to gain the ridge. This overlooks a 
small lake, the chief source of the Lenta, 
a tributary of the Po, which joins that 
stream below Oncino (Rte. A). The 
descent lies over extremely steep slopes 
of fine debris, down which it is easy 
to slide in J hr., but which must be 
very troublesome in the ascent. The 
lake occupies one end of an irregular 
plateau strewn with huge blocks, lead- 
ing to the lakes above the Piano del 
Re at the head of the valley of the Po. 
They do not appear to be separated by 
any ridge of solid rock, but merely by 
hillocks formed by the remains of 
ancient moraines, left on the ground 
during the retirement of the great 
glacier which once filled the entire 



ROUTE B. TOUR 



OF MONTE VISO. 



29 



space, and poured down separate ice- 
streams towards the plain of Piedmont 
through the valleys now drained by the 
Po and the Lenta. From the lake 
above - mentioned Crissolo may be 
reached in about "2^ hrs., but Messrs. 
Mathews and Jacomb preferred to 
follow the Lenta to Paesana. After 
passing the chalets of Alpetto, a path 
passes above a gorge where the river 
flows between walls of serpentine, which 
show well-marked traces of glacier 
action. In 3 hrs., fast walking, they 
reached Oncino, and in 2 hrs. farther 
Paesana (Rte. A). 

The Monte Viso is probably the only 
peak, of nearly equal height, of which 
the complete tour can be made in a 
single, though laborious, day's walk. 
But three ridges diverge from the moun- 
tain — that on the N. side continuing 
the range of the Cottian Alps — the 
minor range separating the waters of 
the Vraita from those of the Po and the 
Lenta — and lastly, the main chain con- 
necting the Viso with the Maritime 
Alps, which encloses the head of the 
branch of Val Vraita, called Val di 
Chianale. Immediately W. of the Viso 
is the Col de Vallante — the pass natur- 
ally selected for making the tour of the 
mountain, at the head of the Val di 
Vallanta, the main branch of the valley 
leading from Castel Delfino to the 
Monte Viso. 

If it be desired to complete the tour 
in one day, it should be undertaken 
from the highest chalets in the valley of 
the Guil rather than from Crissolo; for 
though the accommodation at that 
place is better, the addition of about 
eight miles, and fully 2,000 feet of 
ascent, to so long a day's walk, is not 
to be recommended. To enjoy the 
scenery at the best advantage, it would 
be advisable to commence the expedi- 
tion by the Col de la Traversette (Rte. 
A), so as to be on the summit of the 
pass at, or soon after, sunrise. At the 
base of the descent, instead of following 
the track towards Crissolo, you should 
keep along the slope above the Piano 
del Re, near to the lakes, the sources 



of the Po, and over the rough ground 
which intervenes between them and the 
lake at the foot of the Passo delle 
Sagnette. By keeping as much as pos- 
sible to some steep slopes of turf and 
rock, the difficult and laborious ascent 
of the latter Col through soft yielding 
debris may be partly avoided. On 
reaching the summit you have the main 
mass of Monte Viso, extending from 
the highest peak to the Petit Viso, im- 
mediately on the right hand, while in 
front is a deep gorge forming the head 
of the Val Forcellina, which joins the 
Val di Vallanta, as already mentioned, 
near to the chalets of Pian Meyer; and 
those who have hitherto made the tour 
have descended to the junction, and 
from thence reascended to the Col de 
Vallante. As this involves considerable 
labour and delay, it is desirable to 
ascertain whether a practicable course 
may not be found along the S. side of 
the peak of Monte Viso and round the 
Petit Viso, by which the passage from 
one col to the other might be consider- 
ably shortened. The attempt should 
be made only by practised cragsmen, 
and not too late in the day. The ascent 
from Pian Meyer to the Col de Vallante 
lies through a rocky valley on the 
W. or right bank of the stream. As 
this becomes narrowed to a mere gorge, 
the path disappears, and the last part 
of the ascent lies up a steep couloir 
partly tilled with snow, which terminates 
abruptly on the snow-covered ridge 
forming the summit of the pass, about 
9,350 feet in height, and 2 J hrs. 
from Pian Meyer. In descending 
towards the head of the valley of the 
Guil, it is best to keep along the ridge 
for a short distance in the direction of 
Monte Viso, and then bear away to the 
left. The snow- field slopes at first gently, 
then more steeply, and the final descent 
is over debris to the left of a ridge of 
steep rocks. In clear weather, practised 
mountaineers do not require a local 
guide, but when clouds lie on the pass, 
it is not easy to find the way, and it 
would be unwise to attempt it without 
the help of one of the shepherds, who 



30 



COTTIAN ALPS. § 4. VISO DISTRICT. 



are generally to be found at the highest 
pasturages on either side. 

The head of the valky of the Guil 
has been described in Rte. A. From 
the point at which the nearly level bot- 
tom of the valley is reached, the highest 
chalets are distant little more than 
jr hour. They stand on the N. side of 
the stream, and might easily be over- 
looked among the scattered blocks 
which have been left by the glacier that 
once filled the valley. 

The first traveller to make the tour 
of Monte Viso was probably Professor 
J. D. Forbes, who visited this district 
in 1839. He found it to be a very 
laborious day's work of 14 hrs ; but 
it would appear that he crossed a col 
more distant from the summit than the 
Passo delle Sagnette, thereby lengthen- 
ing the route. The way above pointed 
out would probably require 12 hours' 
fair walking, exclusive of halts. In 
attempting to make the circuit from 
Crissolo, it would be advisable to begin 
with the Col de la Traversette, starting 
before daylight. In this way the 
troublesome ascent to the Col delle 
Sagnette would be avoided, and the 
distance might be accomplished in 
14 hrs., exclusive of stoppages. The 
excursion is one of the highest interest, 
including more varied scenery than is 
often to be found in a single day's 
walk. 



Route C. 

BARCELONETTE TO GUILESTRE — COL 
DE VARS. 

This is the easiest and most direct 
route for a pedestrian wishing to reach 
Briancon or the Mont Pelvoux district 
from Barcelonette ; it does not appear, 
however, to be particularly interest- 
ing. 

From Barcelonette the mule-track 
mounts the valley of the Ubaye to the 
junction of the TJbayette (§ 2, Rte. A), 
and then, instead of turning E. to 
Meyronne, follows the main valley to 



the village of St. Paul, 4 hrs. from the 
town. From thence there is a rather 
rapid ascent almost continuous to the 
summit of the Col de Vars (6,932'). 
On the N. side a long and gradual 
descent, following the course of the 
Chagne torrent, leads to Guilestre 
(Route A) in 5 hrs. from St. Paul 
or about 9 hrs. from Barcelonette. 



Route D. 

BARCELONETTE TO QUEYRAS, BY 
ST. YE RAN. 

7 hours to Maljasset, Sf hours from thence to 
Queyras. 

This is the most interesting, in point 
of scenery, of the passes between the 
valley of the Ubaye and the Guil, but 
is longer and more laborious than the 
others. The only place on the way 
where tolerable night-quarters are to be 
found is at Malj asset, near the head of 
the Ubaye valley. 

At St. Paul, noticed in the last route, 
4 hrs. from Barcelonette, the track 
leading to St. Yeran keeping to the W. 
bank of the Ubaye mounts through a 
defile ; and after passing a few scat- 
tered houses reaches, in about 3 hrs., 
Maurin, the highest, commune in the 
valley, more than 6,000 feet above the 
sea. It consists of three hamlets, at 
one of which, Maljasset, there is, or 
was, a little inn, kept by Cressy, who 
acted as guide to the neighbouring 
passes. [At this point a number of 
mountain tracks converge. Those on 
the E. side — the Col de Maurin leading 
to Val Maira, and the Col de l'Autaret 
to Val Vraita — have been noticed in 
§ 2 (Rtes. B and D). In the opposite 
direction is a pass leading in 7 hrs. 
to the valley of the Guil, by the Col 
Tronchet (8,7 47 '). The track descends 
to Ceillac through the valley of the 
Melezet, joining the Guil about 3 m. 
above Guilestre.] 

The track to St. Veran, keeping to 
the ISTE., continues to follow the stream 
of the Ubaye, and after passing a small 



ROUTE E. COL DE LONGET. 



31 



lake, produced by a great landslip, on 
the banks of which rye is grown at 
nearly 7,000 feet above the sea, mounts 
steeply along the 1. bank of the tor- 
rent, through a wild glen immediately 
to the W. of the Rioburent (11,142'), 
which is accessible from this side. At 
the head of this wild valley, the traveller 
may choose between four passes, two 
of which are described in the next 
Koute. The most westerly of these — 
the Col de Cristillan — is the way to 
Guilestre ; while the Col de Longet, in 
the opposite direction, passes by the 
N. side of the Kioburent to Ponte 
Chianale, and thence to Castel Delfino. 
Between these are two passes, both 
leading to St. Yeran. Of the Col de 
rAgnel, which lies nearest to the Rio- 
burent, the editor has no information. 
The other pass is sometimes called the 
"Western Col de Longet, but more 
commonly Col de la Cula (10,076'); 
it is reached without difficulty in 4 
hrs. from Malj asset. The view of 
the Dauphine Alps on one side, and 
Monte Yiso on the other, is said to be 
of the grandest character. Much snow 
lies near the summit, especially on the 
H. side. A rapid descent leads in 
2 J hrs. from the Col to St. Veran — a 
considerable village, probably the highest 
in Europe, being 6,591 feet above the 
sea. Barley and rye are here culti- 
vated up to a height of 7,000 feet. 
There is no inn ; but a stranger may 
probably obtain accommodation at the 
house of the cure. As in many of the 
Alpine valleys of Dauphine, the popula- 
tion, in great part Protestant, presents 
an appearance of misery and filth, 
which painfully contrasts with the 
cleanly and comparatively comfortable 
aspect of their neighbours in the Wal- 
densian valleys of Piedmont. About 
| hr. below St, Yeran is the village 
of Molines, where the track from 
Ponte Chianale by the Col de l'Agnello 
(not to be confounded with the Col de 
l'Agnel above-mentioned) joins that 
from St. Yeran. Below Molines is a 
good road, which leads in 1 hr. to 
Ville Vteille, where there is an inn 



(L'Elephant), which is probably the 
best in the valley of the Guil. From 
hence it is necessary to cross to the 
right bank of the river, in order to reach 
the road from Abries to Queyras, dis- 
tant ^ hr. from Yille Yieille. 

A short distance before reaching the 
latter village the traveller should re- 
mark some remarkable pinnacles, simi- 
lar in appearance to those seen in the 
Eringer Thai, at Oberbotzen in Tyrol, 
and elsewhere in the Alps, In the 
other cases referred to, these pinnacles 
have been produced by the disintegra- 
tion of superficial deposits of clay and 
detritus; which, when protected from 
rain by large blocks of stone resting on 
the original surface, gradually form 
pinnacles, each of them capped by the 
block to which it owes its formation. 
In the present instance, they seem to 
be formed of a friable limestone re- 
maining in situ where covered by erratic 
blocks of diallage rock, and washed 
away in the interstices, 

Information as to the alleged exist- 
ence of one or more passes from St. 
Yeran to the head of the valley of the 
Guil is much desired. 



Route E. 

CASTEL DELFINO TO GUILESTRE, BY 
COL DE LONGET AND COL DE CRIS- 
TILLAN. 



Ponte Castello . 

La Chianale . . 

Col de Longet . 
Col de Cristillan 
Ceillac 

Maison du Roi . 
Guilestre . 



Hours' 
walking 
. 1 

• n 
: !• 



12 - J 

As mentioned in § 2, Rte. D, the prin- 
cipal village of the N. branch of the 
Yal Yraita is Ponte Chianale, nearly § hr. 
above the small village of Ponte Cas- 
tello, which stands at the junction of 
the Yal Chianale with the Yal di Yal- 
lante. The scenery of the lower part 



32 



COTTIAN ALPS. § 



4. VISO DISTRICT. 



of the Val Chianale is very pleasing, 
with bright green pastures enclosed be- 
tween wooded slopes, but the ridge en- 
closing the head of the valley is nearly 
bare. Fully J hr. beyond Ponte Chianale 
is the highest hamlet, La Chianale, the 
Italian custom-house station,where there 
is a poor inn, containing one bedroom 
with four beds, and no meat. It is kept by 
Etienne Martinette, who endeavours by 
civility to supply the deficiencies of his 
house. From the village no less than 
five passes lead into the valley of the 
Guil (see next Koute), while one only, 
the Col de Longet, connects this valley 
with the Val Maurin and the head- 
waters of the Ubaye. The pass is also 
called here Col Maurin; but the name 
must not be confounded with the true 
Col Maurin, leading from the village of 
that name to the Val Maira (§ 2). 

The track to the Col de Longet, after 
crossing and recrossing the main stream, 
ascends by the 1. bank of the torrent 
which descends from the Col, passing 
on the 1. a very picturesque lake 
with a chalet beside it. On reaching 
the summit (8,767', probably higher?) 
the upper part of the Val Maurin 
comes into view, treeless, but covered 
with wide and luxuriant pastures. 
To the left is seen the summit of the 
Eioburent, with a small glacier facing 
the Col, and the stone signal of the 
Sardinian engineers conspicuous on its 
summit. This might most easily be 
reached from the W. side, descending 
some distance into the Val Maurin be- 
fore attempting the ascent. ' To reach 
the Col de Cristillan from the Col de 
Longet you descend, passing to the 
rt. of a small lake, as far as the ber- 
gerie, which stands at the junction of 
the Val de Cula of Bonrcet's map with 
the main branch of the Val Maurin. 
Here turn to the rt., up the Val de 
Cula to the point where it forks. The 
rt.-hand branch leads to the Col de 
la Cula, or Western Col de Longet 
(see last Ete). Follow the 1. -hand 
branch, ascending over steep pastures 
until you reach a waste tract covered 
with mica-schist. Thence bearing 



rather to the left, you gain a flat up- 
land valley, with scattered blocks of 
oxydised serpentine, whereon there is 
a small pool. The Col de Cristillan 
(9,771', W. M.) is at the head of this 
valley, and a faintly -marked path leads to 
it. The views from the Col are very fine. 
SE. is seen the Eioburent, and beyond it 
another lofty peak, probably the Poinre 
de Chambeyron. In the opposite direc- 
tion, the whole mass of the High Alps 
of Dauphine comes into view ; and 
farther to the rt. a singular double- 
headed peak, probably the Aiguille 
d'Arves; more distant still are some of 
the summits of the Tarentaise, and last 
of all Mont Blanc. 

* The descent from the Col is over a 
steep slope of loose stones, but when 
once the pastures are reached the path 
is good, and the walking very easy. 
The valley is barren and uninteresting 
till, within a short ^ hr. from Ceil- 
lac, it turns to the 1., and the path 
enters a picturesque gorge. At the 
turn a track to the rt. leads over the 
mountains to St. Veran. Ceillac is a 
considerable village, standing at the 
junction of the Cristillan with the Me- 
lezet. At the head of the latter valley 
is a fine rocky peak, partly covered with 
snow, and called by the natives the Ste. 
Anna, probably the same as the Pointe 
des Orches of Bourcet. The rare 
Eryngium alpinum is common in this 
neighbourhood. In 1^ hr. from Ceil- 
lac the mule- track to Guilestre joins 
the carriage-road to Queyras at La 
Maison du Eoi, 1 hr. from the former 
village.'— [T. G. B.] 

In following the route here described 
it is better to sleep at Ponte Chianale, 
where the accommodation is not worse 
than at Castel Delfino. 

Eoute F. 

CASTEL DELFINO TO QUEYRAS — COL 
DELL' AGNELLO. 

A mule-path 8f hours' walking. 

Of the five passes referred to in the last 



§ O. WALDENSIAN DISTRICT. 



33 



Route which lead from La Chianale 
to the valley of the Guil, two — the Col 
Blanchet (9,544') and the Col de St. 
Veran — lead to St. Veran (Route D) ; 
two others — the Col de Histoids and the 
Col de la JRuine — to the head of the 
valley of the Guil ; while the middle 
pass — the Col deW Agnello, which is the 
most frequented — leads direct to Ville 
Vieille, between Abries and Queyras. 

After following the stream above 
La Chianale for about j hr., the 
track to the Col deW Agnello turns a 
little to the rt , quitting that which 
leads to the Col de Longet and to the 
Col de St. Veran, and then, instead of 
following the lateral valley which leads 
to the Col de Ristolas, zigzags up a 
wooded slope to the left to an upland glen, 
at the head of which is the Col, 4| hrs. 
from Castel Delrino, 8,996 feet in height 
(mean of observations of French and 
Italian engineers, and of Mr. Tuckett). 
The view from the summit is magnifi- 
cent. The path, which is throughout 
well traced, descends by an uniform 
gentle slope along the Agnel Torrent to 
Fongillarde, the French custom-house 
station, 2 hrs. from the Col. The way 
would be monotonous if it were not re- 
lieved by a grand view of the High 
Alps of Dauphine. Below Fongillarde 
a rough char-road leads, in ^ hr., to Mo- 
lines, 1^- hr. from Queyraz, where this 
route joins that by St. Veran (Rte. D). 



SECTION 5. 

WALDENSIAN DISTRICT VALLEYS 

OF THE PELLICE AND CHISONE. 

In this district we include the Pied- 
montese valleys lying between the Po 
and the Dora Riparia, inhabited by the 
Waldenses or Vaudois, whose heroic 
resistance to persecution, and final 
emancipation from all religious disabi- 
lities, have excited the lively sympathy 
of all who know their history. These 



valleys do not include mountains of the 
first order of magnitude ; indeed, if we 
except the Monte Meidassa (10,991'), 
which separates the head of the valley 
of the Po from that of the Pellice, there 
is no point which quite attains to 10,000 
feet. Two principal valleys make up 
the entire district — that of the Pellice, 
or Vol di Luserna, which follows a 
nearly straight course from W. to E., 
abutting at its upper end on the main 
chain of the Cottian Alps, which sepa- 
rate it from the Guil. and that of the 
Chisone, or Vol de Fenestrelle, which, in 
the form of a long crook, flows first 
towards the NW., and then curves 
round till it returns towards the SE., 
and enters the plain of Piedmont, near 
to Pignerol, joining the Pellice a few 
miles below that town. The Chisone 
does not drain any portion of the main 
chain ; for the Dora Riparia, with its 
southern branch, the Ripa torrent, also 
disposed in the form of a crook, but of 
larger dimensions, completely surrounds 
the valley of the Chisone, and cuts it 
off from the drainage of the main 
chain. One of the affluents of the 
Chisone, the Germanasca, does at a 
single point touch the Cottian chain, 
and there communicates with the Guil 
by the Col d' Abries ; but, with this ex- 
ception, one who would pass from the 
Val Chisone into France or Savoy 
must traverse a double rampart of Alps, 
with the Dora or the Ripa serving as a 
ditch between them. This singular 
disposition of the mountains has not 
been without its influence upon the 
history of the people during their armed 
struggle for the defence of their faith 
and liberties. This district includes 
scenery of great beauty and variety, 
and very tolerable accommodation is 
found in many of the villages, not to 
speak of excellent quarters at La Tour 
de Luserne. It is so easy of access by 
railway from Turin to Pignerol, in 1 
hour 20 min., that it has become a sort 
of outlet from the capital, frequently 
visited in the summer season by per- 
sons seeking recreation and change of 
air. 



34 COTTIAX ALPS. § 5. WALDENSIAN DISTRICT. 



Route A. 

PIGXEROL TO MONT DAUPHIN — VAL 
DI L USE UNA. 

Hours' English 

walking miles 

La Tour de Luserne . 2£ 9 

Bobbio . . . . 2£ 7$ 

Col de la Croix . 4 10 

Abries .... 2^ 6£ 

Mont Dauphin . 7 23 

lgi 56 

Pignerol, or Pinerolo (Inns : Corona 
Grossa, pretty good ; and several others), 
is a large straggling town, connected 
by railway with Turin: 4 trains daily, 
in 1 hour 20 min. An omnibus for La 
Tour de Luserne starts half an hour 
after the arrival of (every ? ) train. It 
travels very slowly, by a hot dusty road, 
so that time is saved by engaging a 
light carriage. About 8 miles from the 
town is the first Vaudois village, 

San Giovanni (Inn : Bonne Femme, 
looks clean and decent) ; and 1 m. 
farther, at the opening of a richly 
wooded valley, is the principal village, 
or rather town, of the Vaudois, 

La Tour de Luserne (Inns : L'Ours, 
clean and comfortable; Lion d ? Or, also 
good), a thriving place, with much ap- 
pearance of prosperity. The people 
of these valleys appear to be a steady ! 
and industrious race, but the results of j 
their own industry have been largely j 
increased by liberal contributions from j 
England and other Protestant countries, 
by means of which a handsome church, 
a college, a hospital, an orphanage, and i 
other institutions have been established 
here during the last 25 years. French, 
being the language of their church 
service, is universally spoken among the i 
Vaudois; and this, to strangers, is a de- 
cided improvement upon the Piedmont- 
ese dialect spoken in the neighbouring 
valleys. 

Jean Henri Tron has been recom- 
mended as a guide in this district. He 
is a steady respectable man, who knows 
the mountains well, but he would not 
be found useful in expeditions of any | 
difficulty. Guides fit for adventurous | 



undertakings are scarcely to be met with 
in this part of the Alps. 

The neighbourhood of La Tour 
abounds in rich and beautiful scenery ; 
those who do not intend to pass by that 
route to Perouse, should not omit to 
make an excursion into the Val An- 
grogna (Rte. C). The botanist will 
be pleased to see the rare Campanula 
elatines growing abundantly in shady 
situations in these valleys. 

From La Tour to Bobbio there is a 
rather rough char-road along the left 
bank of the valley; but as the ascent is 
considerable — more than 1,000 feet — 
little time is saved to a pedestrian by 
taking a vehicle. On the way are fine 
views of the higher summits of the neigh- 
bouring Alps, which are here known 
apparently by other names than those 
used elsewhere. The highest peak seen 
at the head of the valley, separating it 
from the Val Germanasca, is called 
Mont Palavas; the Monte Meidassa, or 
the highest point of that mountain vi- 
sible from this side, is called Mont 
Gr enter; while the peak conspicuous 
to the S. towards the valley of the Po 
is the Mont FrioJand. A little above 
the hamlet of Villar a glen opens on 
the S. side of the valley, called La 
Combe des Charbonniers, through which 
Crissolo (§ 4. Rte. A) may be reached 
in about 5 hrs., passing over the ridge 
of the Sea Bianca. On either side of 
the mountain, at a height of about 6,000 
feet, maybe found Arabis pedemontana, 
a plant not known to exist elsewhere. 
On the upper part of the ridge are 
many other rare plants ; e.g. Pedicula- 
ris rosea and fasciculata, Saxifraga 
retusa, &c. 

Bobbio (2,838'), 2§ hrs. from La 
Tour, has no inn. Bartolome Peyrotte, 
of this village, accompanied Mr. Tuckett 
in the ascent of Monte Viso, as porter. 
He was found active and useful, and 
his terms moderate. Jacques Ray- 
mond has also been recommended as a 
guide. From hence to La Monta, near 
Abries, there is nothing but a rough 
mule -path. [A short distance above 
Bobbio, a path mounts rapidly on the 



ROUTE B. VALLEY OF THE CHISONE. 



35 



N. side of the valley to the Col Julien. 
The summit, 4 hrs. from Bobbio, is 
said to command a magnificent view of 
the Monte Viso and the adjoining 
peaks. From thence, Pralis, in the Val 
Germanasca (Rte. D), is reached in 2 
hrs. of rapid descent.] 

Above Bobbio, following the mule- 
track to the Col de la Croix, a massive 
stone embankment is seen, which was 
constructed by a grant from Oliver 
Cromwell, to protect the village from 
the inundations of the Pellice. A short 
distance farther the track crosses to the 
rt. bank of the torrent, and begins to 
mount more steeply as the valley gra- 
dually contracts, and at length becomes 
a mere ravine, partly closed by huge 
masses of rock fallen from the mountain 
above. In the wildest part of the gorge 
are seen the ruins of the fort of Mira- 
bouc, constructed to guard this entrance 
into Piedmont. The track, which has 
before this returned to the 1. bank of 
the Pellice, formerly passed through 
one of the gates of the fort, and it ap- 
pears as if no other passage could be 
found along the precipitous rocks which 
enclose the valley. [From hence it is 
possible to reach Abries by either of 
two passes, shorter, but more difficult, 
than the Col de la Croix — the Col de 
Malaure, and the Col de I'Orine; they 
are of about equal height, and, with a 
guide, half an hour may be saved by fol- 
lowing either of them. The Col de 
Malaure passes to the N. side, the other 
Col to the S. side of the Mont Pala- 
vas ; both are approached through the 
lateral valley of Crousena. 3 hrs. are 
required to reach the summit from Mi- 
rabouc — 2 hrs. from the summit of 
either Col to Abries.] The valley of 
the Pellice makes an abrupt turn above 
Mirabouc, mounting nearly due S. in 
the direction of Monte Viso. In less 
than 3 hrs. from Bobbio the traveller 
reaches a group of chalets, called Pra, 
where provisions and very tolerable ac- 
commodation . may be found for the 
night, by a hunter or naturalist wish- 
ing to explore the neighbourhood. 
The Monte Meidassa (10,9910 is said 

D 



to be accessible from the head of the 
valley, and the view is probably second 
only to that from Monte Viso. [2j 
hrs. from Pra, following the stream 
of the Pellice to its source, is the 
summit of Col de Seylieres (9,247' — 
[W.M.] ), also called Col de Chevalleret. 
The scenery of head of the valley is 
very fine, and this is the shortest and 
most agreeable way for approaching 
Monte Viso from the Vaudois valleys. 
The chalet of La Ruine may be reached 
in less than an hour from the summit, 
and the Col de la Traversette in even 
less time (see § 4, Rte. A)]. 

The ascent to the Col de la Croix 
commences close to tne Bergerie de 
Pra, mounting steeply in zigzags— \\ 
hr. steady walking. From the sum- 
mit (7,611') there is a fine view of 
Monte Viso, seen over the Col de Sey- 
lieres, and of the defile of Mirabouc. 
An ancient stone, carved with the fleur 
de lys and the cross of Savoy, marks 
the frontier of France. The top of the 
pass is nearly level for about a mile, 
and the descent on the side of France 
easy and gradual. At La Monta the 
track joins the char-road, which leads 
in about 4 m. to Abries, and from 
thence to Guilestre and Mont Dauphin. 
The road is described in § 4, Rte. A. 



Route B. 



PIGXNEROL TO CESANNE — VALLEY OP 
THE CHISONE — COL DE SESTR1ERES. 





Hours' 


English 




walking 


miles 


Perouse 


. . S% 


12 


Fenestrelle . 


. 3 


9 


Pragelas 


. . 2| 


7 


SestriSres 


. H 




Cesanne 


. . 2| 


1 




"IF 


40| 



The valley of the Chisone, or Clusone, 
as far as the foot of the Col de Ses- 
trieres, is traversed by the post-road 
which is carried over that Col to Ce- 
sanne, in the valley of the Dora, on the 
o 



C6 



corn AN ALPS. § 5. waldexsian district. 



Italian side of the Mont Genevre. The 
main valley, and especially its tribu- 
taries, the Val de S. Martino and the 
Val Germanasca, abound in beautiful 
scenery, and will well reward some 
. ays devoted to exploring their recesses 
and the ranges which enclose them. 
The lower part is usually called Val de 
Perouse, but sometimes Val de Fenes- 
trelle. The upper part is known as Val 
Pragelas. The road to Cesanne enters 
the valley and approaches the 1. bank 
of the Chisone at a short distance 
from Pignerol. On the 1., at the oppo- 
site side of the valley, is seen the 
Vaudois village of 5. Germano, niched 
in a hollow of the mountain, and above 
it the hamlet of Pramol. There is no 
difficulty in crossing the ridge which 
separates Pramol from the Yal An- 
urogna, and by this detour a pedestrian 
may lengthen the way from Pignerol 
to La Tour de Luserne in a very agree- 
able manner. 

Between Porte and Villar, about half- 
way to Perouse, the high-road passes 
close to some very extensive quarries, 
of which the most important are at a 
place called Malanaggio. The gneiss, 
which is developed here on a great 
scale, is extremely varied in its mineral 
structure, and some of the beds furnish 
stone which is highly valued for archi- 
tectural use. Huge blocks have been 
extracted for the columns of the new 
church on the Po, and other public 
buildings in Turin. Advancing farther 
up the valley, the gneiss gives place to 
a schist composed almost exclusively of 
black mica; and at various points in the 
ranges which enclose the valley, es- 
pecially at the Col de l'Assieta, serpen- 
tine appears in great masses, and, as 
usually happens, seems to have modified 
the mineral character of the rocks which 
it approaches. About .12 miles from 
pignerol is 

Perouse (2,037') (Inns : Sole ; Auberge 
National), a small town, but the most 
considerable in the valley. It stands 
opposite to the opening of the Val de 
St. Martin, through which the Ger- 
manasca torrent descends to join the 



Chisone. For passes leading to La 
Tour de Luserne, Abries, and Pra- 
gelas, see Rtes. C, D, and E. The 
road, which had hitherto been nearly 
level, mounts considerably in the next 
portion of the valley. Several small 
hamlets, surrounded with rich vegeta- 
tion, are passed ; at one of them, called 
Villaret, is a mule-track, which leads 
in 3 hrs. to the Col della JRossa, and 
in 3 hrs. more to Giaveno, on the Sa?i- 
gone torrent, a short distance from 
the railway between Susa and Turin. 
For a long period the Vaudois were 
not permitted to settle in the main 
valley of the Chisone, being restricted 
to the valleys of Luserna and St. Martin, 
with their tributary branches; but since 
1848 all religious disabilities have 
been removed, and many of them have 
settled in the valley of Fenestrelle, be- 
sides others who have been attracted 
to the capital. In spite of the con- 
siderable ascent in this stage of the 
valley, it enjoys a high summer temper- 
ature, and the vine and mulberry both 
nourish as far up as 

Fenestrelle (Inn : said to be bad and 
dirty), a poor village which crouches 
beneath the imposing works of the Fort 
of Fenestrelle. This is supposed to be 
one of the strongest, as it is certainly 
one of the most considerable, fortresses 
on the frontier between Prance and 
Italy. The works rise one above 
another in successive ranges on the 
steep southern slope of the valley, 
the highest battery being approached 
by a gallery, said to contain 3,600 
steps. Four detached forts command 
the approaches, and nothing that mili- 
tary science could suggest has been 
omitted in the defence of this route 
into Italy; but it may well be doubted 
whether, in case of need, they would be 
of the slightest avail against a neighbour 
who is master at once of the routes of 
the Cenis and the Col di Tenda. In 
| the neighbourhood of the village are 
I seen the remains of former fortifications, 
I destroyed by the French in 1796, and 
j of others still more ancient, constructed 
I to defend the approaches from the side 



ROUTE D. VAL GERMANASCA. 



of Piedmont, when this valley belonged 
to Trance. 

[The pass of the Col de la Fenetre, 
over the range N. of Fenestrelle, which 
separates the valleys of the Dora and 
the Chisone, leads to Snsa in 5 hours. 
It is an extremely agreeable and inte- 
resting walk, commanding from the 
summit an admirable view of the peaks 
on either side of the Mont Cenispass ] 

Above Eenestrelle the valley becomes 
more Alpine in character. About half 
way to Pragelas, at the hamlet of 
Pourieres, a track mounts to the right, 
leading by the Col de VAssieta to Exilles. 
This is a very interesting expedition, 
practicable for horses, and requiring 
not more than 5 hrs. The summit 
is a plateau of considerable extent, 
which was repeatedly the scene of 
military operations during the wars 
between France and Piedmont. The 
views of the opposite range, from the 
Mont Tabor to the Roche Melon, are 
magnificent. The remains of redoubts 
are seen in many places; and in a 
depression of the plateau, called the 
Yallon des Morts, the bodies of many 
hundreds of brave men lie buried. 

The last village in the valley is 
Sestrieres, from whence the road 
mounts in zigzags to the Col, a nearly 
level plain two miles long, commanding 
a fine view of the Mont Albergian. 
The descent is by long windings to the 
level of the Dora, which is crossed to 
reach Cesanne. On the opposite slope, 
W. of that village, the road of Mont 
Genevre is seen winding up the valley 
which leads to the pass (see § 6, Rte. 
A). 



Route C. 

LA TOUR DE LUSERNE TO PEROUSE — 
VAL ANGROGNA. 

This is a very agreeable walk of from 
5 to 6 hours, passing through scenery 
which, for combination of rich forest 
vegetation, bold rocks, and sparkling 



37 

torrents, can scarcely be surpassed. 
About 2j hrs. from La Tour is the 
defile of Pro, del Tor, famous in Vau- 
dois history; from thence it is easy to 
reach Pramol by a low pass, and then 
to descend into the valley of the Chi- 
sone 3 m. below Perouse. A second 
path leads along the crest of the hills 
(in great part covered with forest) 
which divide the lower Val de St. 
Martin from the Chisone ; while a third 
and rather longer way follows the 
Angrogna torrent nearly to its source, 
and thence by a low Col passes into a 
lateral glen of the valley of St. Martin, 
descending to Eaetto, on the S. side of 
the torrent, opposite the large village of 
Perrier. 



Route D. 

PEROUSE TO ABRIES, BY THE VAL 

GERMANASCA. 
9 hours' walk — about 24 English miles. 

Opposite to Perouse is the opening of 
the Valley of St Martin, through which 
the united torrents from three Alpine 
valleys are poured into the Chisone. 
An easy ascent leads in less than 2 
hours to Perrier, or Perrero, the chief 
village of the valley. Here resides Dr. 
Rostan, an excellent botanist, to whom 
the Editor is indebted for valuable 
information as to this district. He will 
be happy to assist, with information or 
advice, travellers who may desire to 
explore the neighbouring valleys, A 
mile above Perrier the valley divides. 
One branch, descending from the Al- 
bergian towards the SE., is the proper 
Val de St. Martin; but the upper 
extremity is called Val de Massel. The 
other branch of the valley, through 
which the Germanasca flows to NE., is 
the Val Germanasca. A branch of the 
latter, mounting nearly due W., is 
called Val Rodoret. 

The way to Abries lies through 
the Val Germanasca. The principal 
village is Pralis, 4 hrs. from Perouse, 
consisting of four hamlets. In the second 



38 corn an alps. § 6. 

of these is the pastor's house, where, I 
there being no inn, lodging may usually 
be obtained. The scenery of the Val 
Germanasca is very fine, especially the 
upper part, from whence there is a pass 
into the Yal Pellice by the Col Julien, 
noticed in Rte. A, and another to the 
W. — the Col Frapier — leading into 
the valley of the Ripa. The path lead- 
ing to this latter Col leaves the track 
to the Col d'Abries 2 hrs. above Pralis. 
The Col d'Abries is a frequented 
pass, used even in winter; it commands 
no distant view. The summit is 8 
hrs. from Pralis, and the descent, 
passing the village of Roux, requires 
2 hrs. more to reach Abries. Starting 
early from Perouse, it would not be 
difficult to reach Queiras, or even 
Guilestre, on the same day. The dis- 
tance is about the same as from La 
Tour cle Lucerne, and in point of 
scenery this is, perhaps, the finer of the 
two passes. 



Route E. 

PEROUSE TO PRAGELAS — VALDE MASSEL. 
9 hours' walk. 10^ hours to Fenestrelle. 

This route involves a considerable 
detour, but leads through some of the 
finest scenery of this district, and over 
ground which is full of interest to the 
naturalist. 

From Perrier (see last Rte ) the 
track follows the NAY. branch of the 
Yal de St. Martin, reaching in lj hr. 
the village of Massel. 1 hr. farther 
is Balsille, above which, on a shelf of 
the mountain, is the place called Cas- 
tella, where the Yaudois, under Ar- 
naud, held out for three days against 
the united armies of France and Pied- 
mont. The upper end of the valley is 
closed by the fine peak of the Albergian 
(9,990'), which is accessible from this 
side. The Col du Piz, on the S. side 
of the peak, leads to Pragelas; while 
the Col Albergian (8,816') passes by the 
E. side of the mountain to the valley of 
the Chisone, a little above Fenestrelle. 



GENEVRE DISTRICT. 

About 3 hrs. suffice to reach the 
summit of either pass from Bal>ille. 
The descent to Pragelas occupies 2 
hrs., but 3^ hrs. are required to reach 
Fenestrelle from the Col Albergian. 
Both are fine passes, but the latter is 
said to command a finer view. 



Route F. 

PEROUSE TO CESANNE, BY RODORET. 

About l^ hr. above Perrier the 
Germanasca receives an affluent from 
the W., through the Val Rodoret. Near 
the junction is the village of Rodoret, 
or Rodoretto, 3^ hrs. from Perouse. 
From the head of this valley two passes 
lead to the westward. One of these — 
— the Col della Valletta — 2\ hrs. 
from Rodoret, descends into the head of 
the valley of the Chisone to Sestrieres, 
reached in this way in 8j hrs. from 
Perouse — not more than 11^- m. in a 
straight line,whereas the distance by this 
route, must be fully 25 miles. The Col de 
Rodoret, 3 hours from Rodoret, lying at 
the extreme end of the valley, crosses the 
ridge which separates the Germanasca 
from the Ripa — the principal source 
of the Dora Riparia. The path de- 
scends, not far from the source of the 
Ripa, nearly at the same point as that 
from the Col Frapier (Rte. D). At 
least 4^- hrs. are required to reach 
Cesanne; in all, 11 hrs. from Perouse. 



SECTION 6. 

GENEVRE DISTRICT. 

Two of the most copious streams of the 
western Alps — the Durance and the 
Dora Riparia — have their sources at the 
angle formed by the Cottian Alps to 



ROUTE A. — MONT GENEVKE. 



39 



the S. and S.E. of the Mont Tabor. 
Both the Durance, which drains the 
western or outer side of the angle, and 
the Dora, descending from the inner or 
E. face, divide towards their origin into 
several streams, whose general direction 
is parallel to the dividing chain. Thus 
the Durance is formed near Briancon, 
by the union of the Clairee and Guisanne 
torrents, flowing from the NW., with 
the Cerveyrette from the SE. By' a 
nearly similar arrangement, the Dora 
Riparia owes its origin to the confluence 
near Cesanne of the torrents flowing 
through the parallel valleys of the 
Ripa and Thures, both from the SE,, 
and receives at Oulx, from the NW., 
the more abundant stream which de- 
scends through the valley of Bardon- 
neche. This unusual disposition of the 
valleys, which, instead of radiating from 
the dividing ridge of the Alps, form a 
series of trenches parallel to it, corre- 
sponds to the portion of the Alpine chain 
which probably has the lowest mean 
elevation, and which, with the single 
exception of that great breach indicated 
by the valley of the Adige, has the 
lowest passes in the entire range from 
Carniola to the Mediterranean. The 
Mont Genevre (6,1020 and the still 
lower pass of the Col des Echelles 
(5,873') would undoubtedly have been 
the main channels of communication 
between Erance and Italy, if the valley 
of the Durance were not divided from 
that of the Ehone by the great mass of 
the Dauphine Alps. 

In the present section we include the 
portion of the main chain lying on 
either side of the Mont Genevre, along 
with the minor ranges that intervene 
between the Guisanne and Bardonneche 
on one side, and between the Durance 
and Ripa on the other. The entire 
length of this tract, from the Mont 
Tabor to the head of the Yal de 
Thures, near Abries, is about 30 English 
miles. 





Kilo- 




metres 


Exilles 


12 


Oulx . 


12 


Cesanne 


8 


Mont Genevre . 


10 


Briaugon . 


12 




54 



Route A. 

SUSA TO BRIANCON, BY THE MONT 
GENEVRE. 

English 
miles 



5 

6 J 



33f 

The portion of this route between 
Susa and Oulx properly belongs to the 
next §, but is most conveniently in- 
cluded here. 

Diligences ran daily from the rail- 
way station at Susa, employing at least 
8 hours to reach Briancon. Between 
Cesanne and Briancon, a pedestrian, 
taking advantage of the short cuts, 
may travel more quickly than the 
diligence. 

Eor about 6 miles from Susa the 
road keeps to the right bank of the 
Dora, usually at some height above the 
river, through a valley well planted 
with walnut trees, and here and there 
gaining glimpses of the high peaks to 
the N. It passes to the left bank a 
short way below the defile in which 
stands the Eort of Exilles, which com- 
pletely commanded this road from 
France into Italy, but is now rendered 
useless since Erance possesses the crest 
of the Mont Cenis. In the village of 
Exilles tolerable accommodation and 
civility were found a few years since at 
the house of the postmaster. 

2^m. above Exilles is Salabertrand, 
or Salbeltrand, the site of one of the 
Yaudois victories, under the leadership 
of Henri Arnaud. 5 m. farther is 
Oulx (3,514'), a large village at the 
junction of the Bardonneche with the 
Dora, considerably increased in im- 
portance since the works for the great 
tunnel have been in operation (see 
Rte. E). This part of the valley, 
sometimes called Vallee d'Oulx, is very 
interesting to the botanist. Astragalus 
austriacus, Prunus brigantiaca, Cen- 
tranthus angustifolius, and other very 



40 



COTTIAN ALPS. § G. 



GEXEVRE DISTRICT. 



rare species are found in the valley, and 
the Alpine ranges on either side are 
not less rich. 

The last village in the main valley is 
Cesanne (4,419'), where there are two 
or three poor inns. Here the road from 
the Col de Sestrieres and the paths 
from Servieres and Abries (Rtes. B 
and C) converge. 

[To the NW. is the Mont Cliaberton 
(10,258'), the highest of the neighbour - 
ing summits, which may be easily 
reached in 4 hours from Cesanne. The 
peak is nearly isolated from all the 
surrounding ranges by the Ruisseau 
Sec on the TV., and another torrent 
to the N., which joins the Dora at the 
hamlet of Fenils, between Oulx and 
Cesanne. An unfrequented pass, the 
Col de Chiberton, connects together the 
head of the Ruisseau Sec with that 
of the Yallon des Fenils. From the Col 
it is easy to reach the summit, which 
lies nearly due S. The way by the 
Ruisseau Sec is somewhat easier than 
that by Fenils.] 

The high road from Cesanne to the 
Mont Genevre winds along the slopes 
of loose debris that cover the S. base 
of the Mont Chaberton, making a 
considerable detour before it gains 
the height of the pass. This lies 
over an undulating plateau, nearly 
level at the summit, where stands an 
obelisk marking the completion of 
the road in 1807, and the village of 
Bourg Mont Genevre, with the French 
douane, 6,102 feet above the sea. The 
new road descending into the valley of 
the Durance is very well constructed, 
and its long windings present interesting 
and varied views of the neighbouring 
Alps, and of the city of Briancon with 
its picturesque forts. The pedestrian 
will, however, prefer the old road, which 
descends much more directly, through a 
pine forest, along the 1. bank of the 
petty stream from the plateau, which is 
sometimes treated as the proper source 
of the Durance. Both roads reach the 
valley of the Clairee at the hamlet of 
La Yachette, about 2 m. above 

Briancon (Inns : Ours, tolerable ; 



Hotel de la Paix, dirty, but good 
cuisine), a very small city, and a fortress 
of the first class, 4,334 feet above the 
sea. There is nothing in the town to 
attract a stranger ; but the forts which 
encompass it, and are even carried up 
the neighbouring peaks, deserve a visit, 
although their height has been strangely 
exaggerated. Permission must be ob- 
tained from the commandant of the 
fortress. The largest is the Fort des 
Trois Tetes ; on the same level is Fort 
Dauphin ; and 300 feet higher, over- 
looking the Durance, is Fort Randouil- 
let. Above these are the Fort d'Anjou 
and the Pointe du Jour, the latter 1,276 
feet above the town. On the very 
summit of the Mont Infernet (7, 80S') 
are the remains of redoubts thrown up 
in 1814. For the Rte. from Briancon 
to Grenoble, see § 8. 



Route B. 

QUEYRAS TO BRIANCON — COL 
D IZOUARD. 

7£ hours' walk by the Col d'Izouard. 

For a pedestrian going from the 
valleys of Monte Yiso to Briancon, 
this route is much preferable to that 
by Guilestre and the Durance. The 
scenery is wild and singular rather 
than grand, but the district traversed 
is in many ways interesting, especially 
to a naturalist. 

From Queyras (§ 4, Rte. A) a 
char-road leads in \\ hr. to Arvieux 
(5,105'), on the Riviere torrent. From 
thence a mule-track mounts to Brunis- 
sard, the highest village. The valley 
here forks. One branch leads NW. to 
the Col des Ayes, over which a path 
passes by the Chalets des Ayes to 
Villar St. Pancrace, near Briancon. 
This is probably a shorter but more 
difficult way than that by theN. branch 
of the valley terminating in the Col 
d'Izouard, which is throughout prac- 
ticable for mules, and may be reached 



ROUTE D. COL 

in 2j hrs. from Arvieux. 4 The last 
part of the ascent is exceedingly wild 
and curious, the track winding through 
vast masses of perfectly bare rock of 
bright red and reddish-yellow sand- 
stone, now worn down into enormous 
screes, now varied by immense blocks 
of fantastic shapes, chiefly needles, but 
often the most grotesque and irregular 
pillars. The scene was perfectly soli- 
tary and silent, and very weird and 
striking.' — [E. L ] The view from the 
summit (about 8,000) includes a por- 
tion of the snowy range of Dauphine, 
and some tine peaks W. of Monte Viso. 
On the N. side is a new building, built 
for a refuge in bad weather, where 
bread and wine may be obtained. The 
descent, at first NW., then due N., 
reaches the Cerveyrette torrent at the 
village ot Cervieres (5,064'). [From 
hence there is a little frequented pass 
to Cesanne, by the Col de Bousson 
(7,006'), also called Col de Cerveyrette 
(3 hrs. to the Col, 3 hrs. from thence 
to Cesanne).] Below Cervieres the 
valley descends WN\Y. to Briancon. 
The rocky slopes preserve through- 
out the same arid character, although 
there is an abundance of running water 
in countless streams. About 3j hrs. 
are required for the descent from the 
Col to Briancon. 



Route C. 

ABRIES TO CESANNE. 

About 7| hours by the Col de Thures— 8± hours 
by Col de la Mait. 

Owing to the remarkable convergence 
of many valleys, that seem to radiate 
rrom a point near to Abries (§4, Rte. 
A), that village is the centre from 
whence many paths lead to as many 
Alpine passes. Three passes into the 
Yal Pellice are described in § 5, Rte. 
A ; another — the Col d'Abries — is no- 
ticed in the same section, Rte. D ; two 
more, leading to Cesanne through the 
Yal de Thures, or through that of the 



DE GALIBIER. 41 

Ripa, naturally fall within this section ; 
and a seventh pass, known to the inn- 
keeper at Abries, and said to be im- 
practicable for horses, leads to the head 
of the valley of the Cerveyrette, joining 
the . Rte. last described at the village 
of Cervieres. Information as to this, 
as well as the two following passes, is 
desired. 

The shortest way from Abries to 
Cesanne is by the Col de Thures, through 
the westernmost of the two parallel 
valleys that unite near Cesanne, with the 
torrent from the Mont Genevre, to form 
the Dora Riparia. In 2 hrs. from 
Abries the mule-path reaches the sum- 
mit of the Col, and from 5 to 6 hrs. 
are required for the long descent from 
thence to Cesanne. 

Farther E., and more distant from 
Abries, is the Col de la Mait, which 
leads from a tributary glen of the val- 
ley of the Guil to the valley of the 
Ripa. Nearly 3 hrs. are required for 
the ascent from Abries. On the oppo- 
site side of the Ripa torrent, here near 
to its source, are the two passes of Fra- 
pier and Rodoret, described in the last 
section. The former, which is nearest 
to the head of the valley, may be reached, 
in 1 hr. from the Col de la Mait, but 
the Col d'Abries offers a nearer and. 
more interesting way from Abries to the 
Yal Germanasca. The descent through 
the valley of the Ripa is at least as long 
as that from the Col de Thures ; the 
path is rough, but practicable for horses, 
and not very interesting in point of 
scenery. 



Route D. 

BRIANgON TO ST. MICHEL COL DE 

GALIBIER. 

About 13 hours' walk. 

Briancon is the centre of a consider- 
able passenger traffic along three great 
roads — that of the valley of the Du- 
rance, leading down to the plains of 
Provence ; the easy pass of Mont 



42 



COTTIAN ALPS. § 0. 



GEN EYRE DISTRICT. 



Genevre, into Piedmont: and the road 
for Grenoble and Lyons, almost equally 
accessible by the Col du Lautarct. The 
intercourse with Savoy to the N. is on 
a far more limited scale, although prac- 
ticable passes lead to the valley of the 
Arc from each of the two main branches 
of the Durance — the Clairee and the 
Guisanne. The best known of these 
passes is the Col de Galibier, which is 
generally considered the limit between 
the Cottian and the Dauphine Alps. 

The valley of the Guisanne, traversed 
by the high-road from Briancon to 
Grenoble, is described in § 8, Rte. A. 
A guide and horse for the Col de Gali- 
bier may be engaged at Monestier, or 
at the little inn at Le Lauzet, about 1 
hr. farther up the valley of the Gui- 
sanne. 

[From Le Lauzet a path mounts along 
the Rif torrent to the Col de la Pon- 
sonniere, a rather shorter but more 
laborious pass to St. Michel than that 
here described. The path joins that 
from the Col de Galibier about i hr. 
before reaching Valloires.] 

The way to the Col de Galibier fol- 
lows the high-road to a point about half- 
way between La Madeleine and the 
summit of the Col du Lautaret, and then 
mounts steeply along the torrent which 
descends from the N W. unt^l, in 2 hrs. 
from Le Lauzet, it attains the summit 
of the CoL This is 9,1 54 feet above the 
sea, and commands a magnificent view 
to the S , extending from the Mont 
Yiso to the snowy peaks of the Pelvoux* 
group. On the side of Savoy the pro- 
spect is also wild and striking, but more 
confined. The Col lies about half-way 
between the Pic des Trois Eveches 
(10,236') to the W., and the Roche du 
Grand Galibier (10,637') to the E. The 
Col de la Ponsonniere lies about an 
equal distance to the E. of the last- 
named peak. In about 2j hrs., de- 
scending from the Col, the track reaches 
the village of Valloires, where the tor- 
rent of Valloire receives a considerable 
affluent from a lateral valley which 
mounts to the SE., and communicates 
by a high and difficult pass {Col de 



V Aiguille JYoire?) with the head of the 
valley of the Clairee. The little inn at 
Valloires is sometimes closed in sum- 
mer, when the villagers are occupied 
with their cattle on the upper pastures. 
2 hrs. farther is St Martin d' outre Arc, 
where bread and wine may be obtained. 
' The distance from St. Martin to St. 
Michel looks nothing on the map, but 
our guide assured us it was 3 hours, and 
the last part of the way execrable. We 
pushed on rapidly up a steep hill, from 
which we enjoyed a beautiful sunset 
view of the valley and the mountains 
enclosing it. Darkness quickly fell, and 
the road during our 2 hours' descent to 
St. Michel fully justified its reputation. 
To ride even by daylight would have 
been impossible, the road was so steep 
and stony, and in several parts com- 
pletely cut up by streams.' — [E. L.] 
In taking this pass from Monestier, fully 
10 hrs. should be allowed, exclusive of 
halts — 3 hrs. for the ascent, and 7 for 
the descent from the Col to St. Michel 
(§ 7, Rte. A). 



Route E. 

BRIAXCOX TO MODANE — MONT TABOR. 

Nearly 11 hours' walk to Modane. 

The direct route from Brian con to 
Modane, or the upper valley of the Arc 
(see § 7, Rte. A), involves two passes 
over the main chain between France and 
Piedmont, but is, nevertheless, rather 
shorter and less laborious than the pass 
described in the last route to St. 
Michel. The Col des Echelles, be- 
tween the valley of the Clairee and 
Bardonneche, is the lowest in the entire 
chain of the Alps, excepting only the 
two great gaps that lead from the valley 
of the Adige to that of the Inn ; and 
the Col de la Saume, by which the 
passage from Piedmont into Savoy is 
here accomplished, is easy and tolerably 
frequented, so that in fine weather a 
guide is not required on this route. 



ROUTE E. MONT TABOR. 



43 



From La Vachette, where the high- 
road of the Genevre leaves the banks 
of the Clairee, a char-road mounts 
through the valley of that torrent, some- 
times called Vol de Nevache, to Plan- 
pinet, 3 hours from Brian con. The 
ascent is very gentle, as Planpinet is 
but 576 feet above the city. Less than 
a mile above the village a frequented 
horse-track mounts to the right, to- 
wards the Col des Echelles de Planpinet, 
the summit of which is but 5,873 feet 
above the sea. On the N. side of the 
pass is a rock, which resembles a gi- 
gantic tower. The descent is perfectly 
easy on the N. side, and leads into the 
Valetroite, a narrow glen through 
which the Bridoire torrent descends 
from the Mont Tabor to join the three 
other streams which meet at Bardon- 
neche (Rte. E). At the base of the 
descent, the track from the Col falls 
into a char-road, and encounters the 
signs of human industry, which has 
here been actively stimulated by the 
great works in progress connected with 
the tunnel through the Alps. The 
water of the Bridoire has been used to 
work some of the machines, and lime- 
kilns and workshops have arisen in this 
wild and remote glen. From this point. 
Bardonneche may be reached in 1 hr, 
and it would be easy to take that place 
on the way to Modane (see next 
Rte.) ; but the more direct course 
mounts to the NW., along the Bridoire 
torrent, which is crossed several times, 
to the poor hamlet of Valetroite (about 
3 hrs. from Planpinet), where the 
char-road comes to an end. Erom 
hence, the summit of the Mont Tabor 
is seen at the head of the valley, but 
presents a less imposing appearance 
than the nearer peak of La Muande. 
Above Valetroite the torrent is crossed 
by a wooden bridge, and soon after the 
path to the Col de la Saume begins to 
ascend rather steeply, through a lateral 
glen which opens to the N. About 1^ 
hr. suffices to gain the summit, from 
whence some of the peaks of the Pel- 
voux group are visible over the inter- 
vening ranges. On the N. side of the 



Col are two small lakes, below which 
the descent, a little E. of N., is very 
easy, over grassy slopes, passing the 
chalets of Re plane tta. A path mount- 
ing to the E., over a low col, connects 
this pass with that of La Roue (Rte. 
E). Lower down is a group of chalets, 
called La Louze, below which a more 
rapid descent on the rt. bank of the 
torrent leads in 1 hr. from the Col to' 
the opening of a lateral valley on the 
rt., leading to the Col de la Roue. 
15 min. lower down the path crosses 
a very picturesque and partly natural 
bridge. Nearly 1 hr. farther on, and 
above the junction of another torrent 
from the rt., is the chapel of Notre 
Dame de Charmet, a sanctuary long 
celebrated in the district of Maurienne. 
Erom hence a char-road leads to Mo- 
dane, bearing round the slope of the 
mountain, in a NW. direction, through 
a pine forest, where the pedestrian may 
shorten his way by a judicious choice 
of short cuts. Gaining here and there 
a glimpse of the glaciers N. of Modane, 
and of those of the Grandes Rousses 
to the W., the traveller reaches Modane 
(§ 7, Rte. A) in 1 hr. from the 
Chapel, or about 3j hrs. from the Col. 
Eour hours are necessary for the ascent 
on this side. 

The Mont Tabor (10,436') is at the 
same time one of the most favourable 
points for a panoramic view of the 
western Alps, and one of the most 
easily accessible of the higher summits. 
It is most conveniently ascended from 
Bardonneche by the Valetroite, but 
may also be reached from Modane by 
the Col de la Saume, or from St. Michel 
by way of Valmeinier. In the ascent 
from Bardonneche, the char-road 
through the Valetroite is followed, as 
far as the highest chalets, 2j hrs. 
When these are passed, instead of 
mounting the lateral valley which leads 
to the Col de la Saume, the ascent con- 
tinues due NW. through the gorge of 
the Bridoire. The path ascends steeply 
by zigzags on the right side of the 
torrent, above the narrow cleft through 
which it forces its way. In f hr. the 



44 



COTTIAN ALPS. § 6. GEN EYRE DISTRICT. 



upper pasturages of the valley are 
gained, and these are succeeded by 
another long and steep ascent, leading 
to a wild hollow enclosed on the left, 
or SW, by the precipices of the 
Muande. The way follows the torrent, 
which flows at the base of enormous 
piles of debris fallen from these cliffs, 
until in about 1 hr. farther a point is 
gained which overlooks a small lake of 
deep blue water, half choked by the 
huge blocks that fall into it from the N. 
face of the Muande, which from this 
point is a very grand object. Keeping 
to the S. side of the lake, the ascent 
continues nearly due W. over piles of 
debris, till in about 2j? hrs.from Vale- 
troite the crest of the Col de la Muande 
is attained. This is a depression in the 
ridge extending S. from the Mont Tabor 
to the Mont Chaberton, and dividing 
the tributaries of the Dora from the 
Clairee. The view is already very ex- 
tensive. Descending a little from the 
Col, and bearing to the rt, a stream 
is crossed near to where it issues from 
a snow-rift of the Mont Tabor, and the 
ascent towards the summit is thence- 
forward by a well-traced path, marked 
at intervals by crosses, and the little 
chapel which stands on the highest 
platform of the mountain comes dis- 
tinctly into view. About J hr. from 
the Col, the edge of the upper snow- 
field is attained. As this is usually 
very soft, and undermined by streamlets, 
it is usual to bear a little to the left in 
order to avoid the steeper part of the 
snow-slope. There is no difficulty 
whatever in the ascent, which might 
even be accomplished on mule-back. 
The last portion of the ascent is, how- 
ever, fatiguing, from the adhesive na- 
ture of the soil, composed of mud 
mixed with half-melted snow. The 
chapel, which is often visited by pil- 
grims in the month of September, is a 
short distance from the pyramid erected 
in 1822, a short distance W. of the 
chapel, by the officers engaged in geo- 
desic operations. The panorama from 
the summit includes all the higher peaks 
of the western Alps. Among the re- 



markable objects nearer at hand, is the 
head of the Valmeinier, with a dark 
lake, one of twelve that are reckoned in 
that wild valley. The summit is 
reached in hr. from the Col de la 
Muande, or 6^- hrs.from Bardonneche. 
The descent to that place may be 
effected in 4 hrs. 

In making the ascent from Modane, 
it is necessary to begin by reaching the 
Col de la Saume (4 hrs). Descend 
a short way on the S. side, and, in- 
stead of following the regular track to 
Valetroite, bearing to the rt. across 
stony pastures, you reach in 20 min. 
a hollow recess in the mountain, 
by which it is possible to attain the 
summit in a nearly direct line; but 
it is an easier course to bear to the 
left, over piles of quartz blocks, and 
mount towards the Muande, till near 
the little lake at its base, when, as 
in the way above described, the ascent 
is continued to the crest of the Col 
de la Muande, 1^ hr. from the Col 
de la Saume. From Modane to 
the summit rather more than 7 hrs. 
are requisite, and 6 hrs. for the de- 
scent. 

A third way to the summit is from 
the Valmeinier, which pours its torrent 
into the Arc, close to St. Michel. A 
rapid ascent leads from St Michel to 
the mining village of Valmeinier (4,83s'), 
and, after passing two or three hamlets 
farther up the valley, attains the chapel 
of Notre Dame des Neiges (7,1 85')- 
From thence the track descends to cross 
a gully, and then mounts gently over 
green pastures on the rt. bank of the 
torrent. A small glacier must be 
crossed to gain the ridge of the moun- 
tain. From Valmeinier the ascent is 
made in about 6 hrs. ; the descent re- 
quires 4^- hrs. 

Guides may be found at Bardonneche 
and at Modane. At the latter place, 
Pierre Antoine Glain is recommended; 
pay, 6 to 8 fr. per day. 



ROUTE F TUNNEL 



THROUGH THE ALPS. 



45 



Route F. 

MODANE TO CESANNE — TUNNEL 

THROUGH THE ALPS, 

9| hours by the Co] de Frejus ; 10f hours by the 
Col de la Koue. 

Besides the Col de la Saume, de- 
scribed: in the last Route, two other 
passes lead more directly from Modane 
to Cesanne, or to Susa, by Bardonneche. 
These passes have attracted much at- 
tention since the commencement of the 
great tunnel which is to open a passage 
for the railway from Chambery to Turin, 
under this portion of the chain. It is 
often improperly called the Tunnel of 
the Mont Cenis, although separated 
from that pass by the great peak of the 
Mont d'Ambin, with its glaciers, and 
very nearly 16 miles farther W. 

1. The shortest path from Modane to 
Bardonneche lies over the Col de Frejus ; 
but it is rough, and fit only for a pedes- 
trian. The track leading to the Col de 
la Saume (see last Rte.) is followed to 
the chapel of Notre Dame de Charmet, 
and for 35 min. farther (in all lj hr. 
ascending) to a stone bridge cross- 
ing a stream which descends from SSE. 
through a picturesque glen called La 
Combe d'Arrionda. The ascent up 
that glen is at first easy, crossing pas- 
tures under which, at a depth of some 
1,600 or 1,800 feet, the tunnel is here- 
after to pass. At the head or the glen 
a very steep slope leads up to the Col 
de Frejus, 2 hrs. from the bridge, 
and 3f from Modane. The railway 
engineers have constructed a belve- 
dere on the crest of the ridge, a little E. 
of the Col. lj hr. of rather rapid 
descent through a barren glen leads 
down to 

Bardonneche (Inns: La Percee des 
Alpes; Italia; Frejus) Owing to the 
number of visitors, it is often difficult to 
find a room. This was until lately a 
neglected Alpine village, about 4,260 
feet above the sea; but now a place of 
great resort and of industrial activity, 
owing to the works in progress for 
piercing the tunnel. The position, in 
a fertile valley at the junction of four 



streams — that of the Melezel, from 
Valetroite (Rte. E) ; those from the 
Col de Frejus and Col de la Roue; and 
that of Rochemolle, from the NE. — is 
agreeable and picturesque. The ruins 
of an ancient castle overlook the village. 
A good road leads from Bardonneche 
to Oulx, nearly 7m.(2| hrs.) ; from 
thence to Cesanne is 5 m. by the high 
road of the Mont Genevre; or 15 m. to 
Susa, if the traveller wish to descend 
into Piedmont. 

2. A much easier but longer wav 
from Modane to Bardonneche is by the 
Col de la Roue. Instead of turning 
off to the 1. from the path to the Col 
de la Saume, at the opening of the 
Combe d'Arrionda, the main valley is 
followed for about 1 hr. farther to the 
opening of another glen, also on the 
1. hand in ascending, close to some 
chalets called Pra de Riou (2f hrs. 
from Modane). After mounting through 
some stunted pines, the path lies over 
open pastures to another group of chalets 
called Fontaine Froide, ljhr. from Pra 
de Riou. A further ascent of half an hour, 
by a path which even in winter is well 
marked by poles, leads to the summit 
of the Col de la Roue (8,334'?), one of 
the most easily accessible passes of the 
Alps (4j hr.s. from Modane). The 
descent lies through a treeless and 
dreary glen, leading in 2 hrs. to Bar- 
donneche. 

The Tunnel through the Alps is an 
undertaking of such general interest 
and importance, that a short notice of it 
will be acceptable. 

The merit of proposing the plan 
which has been finally adopted is due 
to M. Meclail, of Bardonneche, who 
spent many years in examining this 
part of the Alpine chain, and lived long 
enough to see his project entertained 
by the commission appointed by the 
Sardinian Government to consider the 
feasibility of a railway tunnel which 
should pierce the Cottian Alps. No 
other line equally short has yet been 
proposed for a tunnel starting from so 
moderate an elevation. The N. terminus 
of the tunnel is on the slope of the 



46 



COTTIAN ALPS/ § 7. CENIS DISTRICT. 



mountain, about 400 feet above tbe 
hamlet of Fourneaux, on the high 
road of the Mont Cenis, \j m. below 
Modane. The opening is 3,904 feet 
above the sea-level, and to reach it 
the railway will mount the valley as 
far as Modane, and then return by an 
incline of moderate slope. The entire 
distance to be pierced is about 12,500 
metres, or 7f English miles. For one- 
half of the way — on the N. side of the 
centre — the railway will rise with an 
uniform slope of yfg^ to the height of 
4,377 feet, and thence descend very 
slightly to the southern terminus, near 
to Bardonneche, 4,344 feet above the 
sea. The main difficulty of this great 
enterprise lay in the fact that the height 
of the mountain above the tunnel made 
it impossible to give access to it by 
vertical shafts, which at the same time 
facilitate ventilation and multiply the 
points at which the work may be carried 
on. To overcome these two formidable 
objections it was necessary to devise 
machines which should provide more 
effectual means for ventilation than any 
hitherto in use, and at the same time 
penetrate the rock more rapidly than 
the ordinary process of blasting. When 
the matter was first seriously exa- 
mined, it was estimated, that, even if 
it were possible for workmen to labour 
in a shaft of such depth, and in air 
vitiated by the frequent explosion of 
gunpowder, it would have required 
thirty-six years to accomplish the work 
by such means as were then available. 
The demand for new machinery led to 
a supply of ingenious projects, of which 
three, proposed in turn by a Belgian, a 
Swiss, and an English engineer, were 
thought deserving of examination; but 
each was found defective in some essen- 
tial respect, and it was by a skillful 
adaptation of the useful qualities of 
each of them that three Piedmontese 
engineers produced the machine which 
has been finally adopted. The motive 
power is derived from a waterfall about 
65 feet in height, by which atmospheric 
air is compressed and made available 
in the interior of the tunnel at once for 



ventilation, for piercing the rock, and for 
removing the rubbish. According to 
an official report recently presented to 
the Italian Parliament, it is estimated 
that the tunnel may be opened in 
1875. 



SECTION 7. 

CENIS DISTRICT. 
In this district we include that por- 
tion of the chain of the Cottian Alps, 
between the valleys of the Arc and the 
Dora Riparia, which adjoins the pass 
of Mont Cenis. On either side of 
the pass two peaks of considerable 
height, each flanked by extensive 
glaciers and snow-fields — the Roche 
Melon and the Mont d'Ambin — are the 
watch-towers of this portion of the 
rampart that should protect Italy from 
the greed of her northern neighbours. 
Though traversed daily by hundreds of 
travellers of every condition, the attrac- 
tions of tins district for the lover of na- 
ture have been scarcely at all recog- 
nised. The accommodation to be found 
on the plateau of the Mont Cenis, if not 
very good, is such as a mountaineer 
need not quarrel with; and the position 
is full of interest, not only to the natu- 
ralist, but also for those who like to 
enjoy at leisure the advantages of high 
mountain air, and of scenery which, 
though not of the very first order, will 
well reward the explorer. There is a 
good map of the immediate neighbour- 
hood of the Mont Cenis by Dernien, 
published in 1821. 

Route A. 

CHAMBERY TO TURIN — PASS OF 
MONT CENIS. 



MontmeMian (by railway) 

St. Pierre d'Albigny. . 

Aiguebelle . 

Kpierre .... 

La Chambre . 

St. Jean de Maurienne 

St Michel 



Kilo- 


English 


metres 


miles 


14 


8f 


10 


6i 


12 


n 


10 


? 


13 




10 


Gi 


12 


7| 



ROUTE A. VALLEY OF THE ARC. 



47 



Kilo- English 





metres 


miles 


Modane (by road) 


17 


ICi 


Le Vernay . 


11 


7 


Lanslibourg . 


12 


7| 


Tavernettes . 


13 


8 


IVlolaret 


14 


8f 




10 


6? 


Bussolino (by railway) 


8 


5 


Condove 


14 


H 


Avigliana 


7 




Alpignano 


11 


7 




13 


8 




211 


131f 



The distances on the railway lines 
are measured from the stations, which 
are often at some distance from the 
town or village after which they are 
named. The entire distance from Cham- 
bery to Turin is now traversed twice 
daily in 15| hours. The trains take 2 
hours 40 minutes to or from St. Michel, 
and there is a delay of from J hour to 
1 hour for loading and unloading the 
diligences, and for the custom-house 
visit at that place and at Susa. The 
luggage of travellers entering Italy is 
examined at Susa; those returning from 
Italy find the French douane at St. 
Michel. 

On leaving Chambery (§ 10), the rly. 
following a depression between the 
range of the Dent de Nivolet and the 
Mont Granier, makes a bend to the SE. 
until it meets the banks of the Isere at 
Montmelian (§ 10). Even when seen 
under the disadvantages of railway tra- 
velling, the scenery of this part of 
Savoy — where the rich vegetation of the 
valleys contrasts with the rugged pre- 
cipices of the mountains that enclose 
them, and many a ruined stronghold 
recalls recollections of the continual 
warfare that was waged here for cen- 
turies — must interest the passing tra- 
veller. Above Montmelian the rly. 
crosses the Isere on a fine bridge, while 
the post road follows the opposite or 
rt. bank of the river. Mont Blanc is 
visible from some points of the road, 
which here bends to the NE. to the sta- 
tion of 

St Pierre (TAlbigny. The little town 
is on the opposite side of the river, 
and is reached by omnibus in 25 min. 



It is said to possess a good inn, and 
would be a convenient station for ex- 
ploring the ranges which enclose this 
part of the valley of the Isere. (See 
§ 10, Rte. I.) About 3 m. SW. of the 
station is the village of Coise, very 
prettily situated, and reputed for its 
mineral waters, which contain iodine 
and bromine in combination with mag- 
nesia. Among other effects, they are 
said to act as a specific for the goitre, 
which is too common in this district. 

2 m. above St. Pierre is the sta- 
tion of C 'hamousset, close to the junction 
of the Arc with the Isere. The post- 
road to Albertville (§ 12) follows the 
latter stream, while the rly. and the 
road of the Mont Cenis are carried along 
the 1. bank of the Arc. 5 m. far- 
ther is Aiguebelle (Inns: Poste; Par- 
faite Union), which was almost com- 
pletely destroyed in 1760 by a land- slip 
from the Montague des Combes. Eor 
the ensuing 20 miles the valley of the 
Arc mounts near due S., and the rail- 
way and high-road, after crossing the 
stream, keep together on the rt. bank. 
[From Epierre, two passes lead to La 
Pochette and Allevard. The Col d'Her- 
barietan descends on the W. side of 
the ridge, along an affluent of the Gelon 
torrent ; while the Col de la Perche, 
farther S., leads to La Pochette by the 
valley of the Soudron (see § 10).] 

At the hamlet of La Chapelle the 
rly. passes through a short tunnel, and 
on issuing from it the traveller un- 
eaten a glimpse to the SW. of two py- 
ramidal peaks — the Pic du Frene, and, 
more to the right, the Grand Miceau, 
with the pass of the Pas du Frene be- 
tween them (see § 8, Rte. F). [From 
St. Remy, on the 1. bank, a path leads 
to Allevard, by the Col de la Freche, 
more direct than those above men- 
tioned.] About 14 m. from Aigue- 
belle is La Chambre (1,577'), a pic- 
turesque village, with some remains of 
ancient architecture. Up to this point 
the valley rises very gently— 8G 5 feet 
in 28 miles from Montmelian. Opposite 
to the village, the valley of the Glandon 
mounts rapidly to the SSW., leading by 



48 



COTTIAN ALPS. § 7. CEXIS DISTRICT. 



various passes to Allevard, or to Bourg 
d'Oisans (see § 8). In exactly the 
opposite direction, the valley of the 
Bugion is traversed by the path leading 
to the Col de la Madeleine, NXE. of La 
Chambre (see § 11)- 

The Arc winds round the bases of 
the mountains that enclose the straitened 
valley before entering the little plain 
that lies at the confluence of the Arvan 
with the Arc, where stands the ancient 
capital of this district, 

St. Jean de Maurienne (Inns : Europe ; 
Chevai Blanc; Voyageurs ; ail indif- 
ferent). The little town (1,906') is on 
rising ground overlooking the valley, 
and about \\ m. distant from the railway 
station on the 1. bank of the Arc. 
The cathedral, externally uninteresting, 
contains several curious monuments, and 
some magnificent specimens of wood- 
carving. Although the see is one of 
the oldest N. of the Alps, no part of 
the existing building appears to be older 
than the 15th century. _ The adjoin- 
ing cloisters deserve a visit ; and the 
church of Notre Dame has a curious 
porch dating from the 13th century. 
Por passes from hence to the valley of 
the Romanche, see § 8. The Col de la 
Platiere, leading to Moutiers, is noticed 
in § 11. The railway station was for 
several years the temporary terminus of 
the Victor Emmanuel Railway; but since 
the extension of the line to St. Michel 
the refreshment -rooms have been trans- 
ferred to that place. After passing the 
torrent of the Arvan, the rly. enters 
the portion of the valley which has op- 
posed the most serious difficulties to the 
maintenance of regular communication 
between the Mont Cenis and the capital 
of Savoy. The mountains which over- 
hang the valley, and especially the Roc 
des Encombres, are composed of rocks 
that yield rapidly to the weather, and 
the slopes at their base consist of enor- 
mous piles of debris, accumulated in the 
course of ages. Every storm brings 
down fresh heaps of sand and fine rub- 
bish, mixed with larger blocks; while at 
the same moment the swollen torrents 
eat into the half-consolidated soil of the 



lower slopes, cutting deep trenches, and 
often sweeping large masses away in 
their current. The difficulty of finding 
solid foundations for bridges and em- 
bankments, or of protecting the road 
from frequent degradation, has been a 
constant source of anxiety and expense. 
7 j m. SE of St. Jean is the station 
of 

St. Michel (2,316'?), the present ter- 
minus of the rly, Besides very tolerable 
food in the refreshment-room, which is 
warmed by stoves in cold weather, the 
railway company provide here and at 
Susa convenient dressing-rooms, where 
a traveller may enjoy the luxury of a 
wash on the way between Paris and 
Turin. The station is close to the vil- 
lage, where are several decent looking 
inns (H. de La Poste, best, formerly H. 
de Londres ). On the opposite side of 
the Arc is the opening of the Valmeinier, 
leading up to the Mont Tabor, and a 
little to the left the rugged path which 
leads by Valloires to the Col de Gab- 
bier (§ 6). To the N. is the track to the 
Col des Encombres (§ 11). 

At St. Michel it is necessary to con- 
tinue the journey to Susa by the high- 
road, unless the traveller be tempted to 
cross the chain which separates him 
from Piedmont by some of the passes 
described in the last or the present 
section. Should he intend to continue 
his journey by the diligences which cor- 
respond with the railway trains, he 
must present himself at a bureau where 
the names of travellers are taken down, 
and the places afterwards given in the 
order of priority. The coupe is very 
frequently secured beforehand in Paris 
or Turin, but, if not, a preference is 
given to applicants whose tickets show- 
that they have made the longest jour- 
ney. The diligences travel fast, and, 
including a halt of 20 min. at Lansle- 
bourg, accomplish, in ordinary weather, 
the 48 m. from St. Michel to Susa, or 
vice versa, in 9 hrs. In winter they 
are frequently delayed, and during snow- 
storms the travellers are occasionally 
detained one or more days at Lansle- 
I bourg. Post-carriages of various di- 



ROUTE A. PASS OF MONT CENIS. 



49 



mensions, to accommodate from 2 to 6 
passengers, may be hired at St. Michel 
or Susa, and even secured beforehand 
at the central offices of the railway in 
Paris or Turin. 

Soon after quitting St. Michel the 
road crosses to the left bank of the Arc, 
and begins to ascend towards the E. 
through a wild gorge, cutting almost 
perpendicularly the nearly vertical 
strata, in which beds of anthracite 
frequently recur. Larches begin to 
show themselves on the S. side of the 
valley; but on slopes exposed to the 
sun, on the opposite bank, the vine is 
cultivated as far as Freney. The road 
returns to the right bank below but out 
of sight of the village of Orelle, from 
whence a path leads to Moutiers by a 
high snow-pass, called Col de la Montee 
du Fond. It joins the path from the 
Col des Encombres (§ 11) near the 
hamlet of Bruyeres. 

Before reaching Ereney (8 m. from 
St. Michel) the valley opens, and the 
ascent becomes more gentle ; a little 
farther, above the hamlet of Eourneaux, 
where iron ore from a neighbouring 
mine was formerly smelted, the entrance 
to the great tunnel, and the workshops 
connected with it, come into view (see 
§ 6, Ete. E). m. farther is 

Modane (Inns : Lion d'Or ; Des 
Yoyageurs ; Croix Blanche), a large 
village (3,494'), where the works for the 
railway and tunnel cause unusual move- 
ment. This is a convenient head-quar- 
ters for excursions. The Routes to Bar- 
donneche and Briancon are described 
in § 6; those to Pralognan in § 11. 

Above Modane, the road, keeping to 
the 1. bank, gradually rises to a great 
height above the Arc. The fortress of 
L'Esseillon is seen on a rock which 
appears to bar further progress, and the 
chasm through which the Arc flows 
between the forts and the high-road 
serves as a fosse to the seemingly im- 
pregnable works which formerly com- 
manded this entrance into Italy. Under 
the treaty for the annexation of Savoy 
to Erance, the fortress is to be razed. 
On the slope of the mountain N, of 



L'Esseillon is the village of Aussois 
(4,921'), leading to the Col of the same 
name (see § 11). In the opposite 
direction is the Col de Pelouze (lite. 
D). After passing the fortress, the road 
descends towards the Arc, and 3 m. 
farther reaches Le Vernay, the princi- 
pal hamlet of the commune of Bramaus, 
after crossing the torrent of St. Pierre, 
which descends from the Combe d'Am- 
bin. About 4 J m. farther, on the 
rt. bank, is Termignon (Inns : Lion 
d'Or ; Soleil ; Rose), a small village, at 
the confluence of the Leysse with the 
Arc. Erom this point the higher peaks 
of the Tarentaise may most conve- 
niently be approached by the track 
which leads over the Plan du Loup to 
Entre deux Eaux (§ 11). The little 
church which stands on a projecting 
rock above the village has a belfry of 
rather curious architecture, and the re- 
mains of an ancient chapel dedicated 
to St. Columbanus will also interest 
the antiquary. On leaving Termignon, 
the road makes a rather steep ascent 
and then gradually descends nearly 
to the level of the torrent. 3 m. 
farther, the road reaches the last con- 
siderable village in the valley of the 
Arc, 4,465 ft. above the sea. 

Lanslebourg (Inns: H. de l'Europe; 
Hotel Imperial has recently changed 
hands, and may not now be liable to the 
remarks made below. At this latter the 
diligences usually halt, both in going 
and returning, giving time to the pas- 
sengers to obtain colfee or other re- 
freshment). The most shameless extor- 
tion is here practised, especially in the 
case of travellers who are detained by 
snow-storms, which sometimes close 
the road in winter for one or two days. 
When snow lies on the ground, dili- 
gences and other carriages are con- 
veyed across the pass on sledges. 

Above the village the road crosses the 
Arc for the last time, and the ascent of 
the Mont Cenis almost immediately 
commences. The slope of the moun- 
tain is so uniform that on this side it 
presents no engineering difficulties, and 
when the existing road was constructed, 



50 



COTTIAN ALPS. § 7. CENIS DISTRICT. 



under the orders of Napoleon, between 
1803 and 1810, it was merely necessary 
to decide what slope should be given 
to it. The gradient adopted was about 
1 ft. in 15, and this is preserved with 
tolerable uniformity throughout the 
ascent. This is effected by six long 
zigzags, each bend of which is about 
J m. in length. Twenty-three houses 
of refuge are placed along the road at 
convenient positions — a necessary pre- 
caution for the safety of those who are 
forced to pass during rough winter 
weather. But 5 of these are on the 
N. side, while 17 are disposed along 
the more exposed part of the route, be- 
tween the summit and Susa. The 
refuge No. 18 is close to the top. To 
reach that point the diligences and 
post- carnages require about 2^ hrs. 
from Lanslebourg, while a pedestrian, 
following the direct path which keeps 
near to the line of the telegraph posts, 
may accomplish the ascent in about 
two-thirds of that time. 

The summit of the pass — 6,772 ft. 
above the sea (some authorities make 
it 105 ft. higher) — does not command 
a very extensive view, the highest 
points visible being in the range of the 
Tarentaise Alps, N. of Lanslebourg. 
In the opposite direction the character 
of the scenery is very different. The 
mountain range between the valleys of 
the Arc and the Dora is here of con- 
siderable breadth, and while it descends 
directly from the summit of the pass to 
the Arc, it spreads out on the S. side 
into an undulating plain, on which lies 
a lake enclosed between peaks of mo- 
derate height ; the real descent com- 
mencing at a distance of several miles 
from the top of the pass. In passing 
from Susa to Lanslebourg in winter 
time, when snow lies on the slope, it is 
possible to descend from the summit 
to the high road near Lanslebourg 
in about 10 min., by means of small 
sledges, used for the conveyance of 
wood, which the country people manage 
with great dexterity. 

At about 2 miles from the top, on 
a sort of terrace, 200 ft. above the lake, 



is Les Tavernettes. This consists of a 
row of buildings, of which the largest 
— the Ancienne Maison dePoste — now 
used merely as an inn, is one of the 
best head-quarters for a naturalist in 
the entire chain of the Alps. Easy of 
access — for it may be reached in an easy 
day's journey from Chambery, Milan, 
or Genoa — it lies in the centre of a dis- 
trict unusually interesting to the bota- 
nist. The pastures surrounding the lake, 
when seen before the cattle are driven 
up there, which usually happens early 
in July, may vie with our finest gar- 
dens for the beauty and variety of their 
flowers, and the surrounding heights 
produce most of the rarest species of 
the Western Alps. To name but a few 
of the more interesting species, we find 
here Ranunculus pyrenceus, Draba py- 
renaica, Arabis cenisia, Ononis cenisia, 

i Phaca australis, Oxytropis foetida and 
O. Gaudini, Astragalus depressus, Saxi- 

| fraga diapensioides, Hieracium valde- 
pilosum, Campanula cenisia, Sivertia 
perennis, Veronica Allionii, Pedicularis 
foliosa and P. gyrcflexa, Paradisia Li' 
liastrum, Carex microglochin, and Alo- 

I pecurus Gerardi. On the slope towards 
Lanslebourg may be found also Pinus 
uncinata, Poa distichophylla, and Fes~ 
tuca Jlavescens. The list might be 
considerably extended if we were to 
include places within easy reach, such 
as the Little Mont Cenis and the Col 
du Clapier (Rte. C> 

The Ancienne Poste has changed 
hands several times within the last few 
years, and the inn offers but moderate 

i accommodation. It contains, however, 
several tolerable bed-rooms, and the 
food is general^ pretty good. About 
1 mile beyond Les Tavernettes is the 
Hospice of the Mont Cenis, a very 
large building, erected by Napoleon on 
the site of the ancient convent. One- 
half of the building was intended for 
barracks, now rarely occupied, built to 
accommodate detachments of troops, 
which, during the first empire, were 
constantly passing this way ; the other 
half is under the charge of two eccle- 
siastics, who are bound to lodge and 



ROUTE B. ASCENT OF THE EOCHE MELON. 



51 



feed poor travellers. There are two or 
three rooms fitted up for guests of the 
higher class, and a naturalist intending 
to make some stay might probably ob- 
tain here better accommodation than 
at the Ancienne Poste. 2 miles far- 
ther, and still on the plateau, is a 
group of houses with extensive stabling, 
called La Grande Croix, where some of 
the diligences change horses. [From 
hence the summit of the Roche Melon 
(Rte. B) is accessible by a long and 
laborious ascent over steep piles of 
debris.] 

Immediately beyond La Grande Croix 
the plateau comes to an end, and the 
descent commences. The old road was 
carried to the right, along the steep 
rocks which overlook the little plain of 
St. Nicholas. This course was aban- 
doned in consequence of the frequency 
of avalanches in spring, and a tunnel 
bored through the rocks at the most dan- 
gerous portion of the way has partly 
fallen in, so that even a pedestrian finds 
some difficulty in passing. The new 
road is carried by zigzags down a steep 
descent, near a fine waterfall of the 
Cenise torrent, the stream from the upper 
lake, and reaches the plateau of St. 
Nicholas out of the reach of avalanches. 

The ancient horse-track, still some- 
times used by foot-passengers, descended 
from the S. end of this plateau through 
the gorge of La Ferriere to the village 
of Novalese, at the base of the Roche 
Melon, and followed the stream from 
thence to Susa. No time is saved by 
taking that course, and for some miles 
farther it is better to follow the high 
road which is carried at a great height 
above Novalese along the W. side of 
the lateral valley which now opens into 
view. The Roche Melon, hitherto, con- 
cealed by nearer peaks, now stands out, 
and remains the most conspicuous ob- 
ject throughout the descent to Susa. 
A gentle slope leads to Bard, and from 
thence, after some windings which 
may be abridged by a judicious choice 
of short cuts, to the post-house of 
Molaret. Less than £ m. below the 
post-house a rough path on the h 



leads down a steep slope, partly amidst 
brambles and deciduous trees, and 
reaches the bottom of the valley a 
short way from Venaus, from whence 
Susa is reached in less than 1 hour's 
walk. 

This short cut might possibly enable 
passengers by the diligence ascending 
from Susa to reach Molaret before it 
had arrived there; but as the diligences 
travel fast, often at a trot where the 
ascent is not very steep, it is wiser to 
keep near to the carriage, and merely 
profit by the path which cuts off most 
of the zigzags on the road between 
Molaret and Jaillon, or Giaglione-— a 
hamlet composed chiefly of cabarets 
halfway to Susa. The views of the 
valley of the Dora gained in the course 
of the descent are very fine, and the 
combination of Alpine scenery with 
southern vegetation should have con- 
ferred on this entrance into Italy a 
higher reputation than it has yet ob- 
tained. Some detached bosses of rock 
intervening between the Cenise and the 
Dora conceal the city from view until 
the traveller is close to 

Susa (Inns : H. de France, perhaps 
the best, charges unreasonable ; La 
Poste; H.deSavoie), a small city occupy- 
ing the site of a Roman station, founded 
or extended in the time of Augustus. 
The cathedral, built in the twelfth cen- 
tury, has a curious belfry in the 
Romanesque style, and some of the 
carving and sculpture is interesting. 
A lane opening on the place of the 
cathedral leads in 2 or 3 min. to the 
Roman Triumphal Arch, erected about 
8 B.C. in honour of Augustus. The 
columns are of the Corinthian order, 
and the capitals as well as the sculpture 
of the entablature are. in a very decayed 
condition. Immediately N. of Susa 
are the ruins of the Fort of La Brunetta, 
blown up by the French in 1798. The 
adjoining rocks, and those above the 
neighbouring village of Mompantero, 
exposed to the full force of the sun, 
support many southern plants, which 
are rarely seen so far from the shores of 
the Mediterranean. Here also is found 
2 



52 



COTTIAN ALPS. § 7. CENIS DISTRICT. 



a curious species very rare in Italy — the 
Telephium Imperati. 

The trains between Susa and Turin 
travel very slowly, the ordinary trains 
employing nearly 2 hrs., and the so- 
called express, 1 hr. 20 min., to ac- 
complish 33 miles. For about three- 
fourths of the distance the railroad is 
carried through the valley of the Dora, 
enclosed between two mountain ranges 
which gradually diminish in height and 
subside into the plain near Alpignano. 
On the way, at about 14 m. from Susa, 
near to the Condove station, is seen a 
remarkable rock rising nearly 2,000 ft. 
above the valley, and crowned by the 
ancient castle-like convent of San 
Michele, founded in 999, and rebuilt 
by the late King Charles Albert. After 
passing within sight of Kivoli the train 
reaches 

Turin (Inns : Europa, kept by Trom- 
betta, first-rate ; Liguria, in the Via di 
Porta Nuova, near the railway to Milan 
and Genoa, good, with an excellent 
restaurant on the ground -floor ; Gran 
Bretagna ; Feder, formerly good, much 
fallen off; H. de la Ville, formerly 
Pension Suisse, rather cheaper than the 
above-mentioned.) Being now the capi- 
tal of a great state, and largely increased 
in population, Turin is an expensive city. 
It abounds in handsome cafes, and in 
restaurants. Though prices a la carte 
are not cheap, a party dining together 
can get a good dinner at from 3 to 
4 fr. a head, at the better class of 
restaurants. 



Route B. 

SUSA TO BESSANS ROCHE MELON. 

To a mountaineer the most interest- 
ing object in the neighbourhood of Susa 
is the peak of the Roche Melon. There 
is perhaps no point in the range of the 
Alps so well placed to command a view 
of the undulating plateau between the 
Alp and the Apennine, scored by the 
channels of many rapid rivers, that 



makes up the territory of Piedmont. 
The Monte Viso, though higher, is far- 
ther from the centre, and more sur- 
rounded by other high peaks. By the 
Rte. here described it is possible to take 
the summit of the Roche Melon on the 
way to the village of Bessans in the 
valley of the Arc ; but this involves a 
very laborious day's work, and most 
persons would find it more advisable to 
descend from the summit to the Grande 
Croix on the road of the Mont Cenis ; 
thus securing accommodation for the 
night at the Ancienne Poste or at 
Lanslebourg. 

The most direct way from Susa is by 
the village of Mompantero, from whence 
a horse- track mounts to the chalets of 
Trucco. The ascent continues with 
increasing steepness past the highest 
larches, and finally reaches a chapel 
called Ca d'Asti, near which, at the 
extraordinary height of 9,386 ft., are 
some sheds for the reception of pil- 
grims. Above 5 J hrs. are required to 
reach this point, but in descending the 
distance may be accomplished in Jess 
than 3 hrs. From the Ca d'Asti the way 
lies partly along a narrow ridge of rock, 
and partly up extremely steep slopes of 
debris. 1 j hr. are required to reach the 
summit over ground which elsewhere 
in the Alps would be considered fit 
only for the chamois hunter or the pro- 
fessed mountaineer; yet it is annually 
traversed by some hundreds of pilgrims, 
men and women, who commonly pass 
the night on the mountain in order to 
reach the top at an early hour on 
August 15. The object which prompts 
the pilgrims to face the dangers of 
the ascent — for serious accidents are 
not unfrequent — is an ancient chapel, 
originally built by a crusader, Boni- 
face of Asti, in fulfilment of a vow 
made when a captive among the Sara- 
cens. It is so small that but four 
persons can enter it at a time, and it is 
difficult to understand how the large 
number of visitors can find footing on 
the narrow ridge which forms the sum- 
mit of the mountain. It is said that the 
original chapel of Boniface of Asti was 



ROUTE C. PETIT MONT CENIS. 



53 



hewn out of the rock in a spot which 
is now covered up with neve. The 
existence of a recess artificially hollowed 
in the rock was proved in the hot sum- 
mer of 1820, when the entrance was un- 
covered by the melting of the snow, and 
the supposed chapel was entered by M. 
Francesetti. Beside the chapel, on the 
highest peak of the mountain 11,621 ft. 
above the sea, is the stone signal erect- 
ed by the engineers for the measure- 
ment of an Arc of the mean parallel 
from the Adriatic to the Atlantic coast 
of France. The extreme steepness of 
the S. and W. faces of the Koche Melon 
enables so little snow to rest there that 
in summer they are usually quite bare; 
but on the northern slope a considerable 
field of neve extends from the summit, 
and gives rise to a glacier which de- 
scends through the head of the Yallon 
de Ribons towards Bessans. 

By the way here described, from 7 to 
7^ hrs., exclusive of halts, are re- 
quired to reach the summit from Snsa. 
A rather longer, and somewhat less 
steep, track is by Novalese, on the old 
road of the Mont Cenis, a little more 
than 1 hr. from Susa, close to the junc- 
tion of three torrents — the Cenise, the 
Marderal, and the Clare. The latter 
forms a very fine cascade, more than 
600 ft. high, near the village. The 
ascent is by a very stony path to the 
chalets of Traverse, and from thence 
to the Ca d'Asti, where it joins the first 
route; or it is possible to ascend in a 
nearly direct line to the top by the 
SW. face of the peak. This latter way, 
lying for a long distance over yielding 
debris, is better fitted for the descent 
than the ascent, and then only for a 
practised mountaineer. 

A third way to the summit on the 
side of Piedmont is from the Grande 
Croix. The ascent from thence winds 
along the steep slopes of the interven- 
ing range, for the most part over crum- 
bling slates, passing under the range of 
precipitous rocks that lead up to the 
peak. Should the traveller desire to 
reach the valley of the Arc direct from 
the summit, he must descend towards 



the MW., and traverse the glacier of 
Roche Melon for some distance, bearing 
to the rt. towards the lateral moraine, 
which must be followed when the ice 
becomes too much crevassed. If unpro- 
vided with a rope, it is advisable to 
reach as soon as possible the rt. bank 
of the glacier. The glacier comes to 
an end in a narrow basin called Entre 
les Tetes, lying between two rounded 
summits called the Grosse Tete and the 
Petite Tete, and there arises the torrent 
of Ribons. The gorge through which 
the torrent descends is wild and strik- 
ing, especially in the upper part. In 
the course of the descent the track 
passes by many chalets, and after 4j 
hrs. walk from the summit reaches the 
village of Bessans, w r here there is a 
very poor yet dear inn> about 2^ hrs. 
walk from Lanslebourg. 

In fine weather a guide may not be 
absolutely necessary for a practised 
mountaineer who would ascend the 
Roche Melon from Susa, but local 
knowledge is requisite for the descent 
from the summit to Bessans. 



Route C. 

BRAMANS TO SCSA, BY THE COL DU 
CLAPIER. PETIT MONT CENIS. 

This is a very interesting day's walk 
of about 9^ hrs., exclusive of halts. By 
means of the pass of the Petit Mont 
Cenis this route is easily combined with 
that of the Mont Cenis "(Rte. A). Thus 
an active walker may take all the three 
passes in a long day's walk from 
Lanslebourg to Susa, or he may go 
from Bramans to Susa by the Petit 
Mont Cenis, avoiding both the Mont 
Cenis and the Col du Clapier. 

Close to Bramans, in the valley of 
the Arc (lite. A), is the junction of the 
torrent of St. Pierre, and a char-road 
carried up the 1. bank of that stream is 
the w T ay to the Col du Clapier. The 
rocks which enclose the valley are 
easily disintegrated, and they have 



54 



COTTIAN ALPS. § 7. CENIS DISTRICT. 



been extensively cut through or under- 
mined by the stream. This is particu- 
larly well seen about 1^ hr. above 
Bramans, where the road passes near 
the church of St. Pierre, over a ridge 
which commands a view of the Col de 
Chaviere and the adjoining peaks 
(§ 11), with the valley of Arc to St. 
Jean de Maurienne. This ridge for- 
merly barred the valley, and thus 
formed a considerable lake ; but it lias 
been sawn through by the torrent to 
the depth of 260 ft. below the former 
level of the lake. After passing the 
tributary torrent of Etiaches, the char- 
road come-; to an end at the hamlet bf 
Pianay, \ hr. farther, about 2 hrs. from 
Bramans. The ascent continues by a 
rough track, which passes by some scat- 
tered larches, and then over stony 
pastures covered with huge scattered 
blocks, till it reaches the base of a mas- 
sive ridge, which seems to form the E. 
extremity of the valley. Two paths 
mount the steep slopes of this ridge : 
that to the 1., which is the more labori- 
ous of the two, leads nearly due E. to 
the pass of the Petit Mont Cenis 
(7,300'). This is a depression in the | 
chain separating the nearly parallel 
valleys, through which the road of the 
Mont Cenis and the present route are 
carried. There is this difference — that | 
on the Cenis pass the summit level is 
on the slope above the valley of the Arc, 
and a long descent leads from thence to 
Susa ; whereas the valley of St. Pierre I 
mounts gradually from the valley of 
the Arc to the Col du Clapier, from 
whence there is an abrupt descent on 
the S. side towards Italy. Thus it 
happens that the range, which sepa- 
rates the St. Pierre from the Cenise, 
forms part of the dividing chain of the 
Alps, and the Petit Mont Cenis is one 
of the passes over that chain. At least 
2 hrs. are required for the ascent from 
Pianay, and rather less time suffices to 
descend from the Petit Mont Cenis by 
an easy path to Les Tavernettes on the 
high road of the Mont. Cenis, passing 
bv the N. end of the lake. (See Rte. 
A). 



The pass of the Petit Mont Cenis is 
but little used, as it is more laborious 
than the main pass, and less direct for 
a traveller bound from Modane to Susa 
than the Col du Clapier. It derives 
some special interest, however, from the 
recent investigations, which make it 
most probable that it was the pass by 
which Hannibal entered Italy, and some 
travellers may be induced to follow it 
for the sake of comparing the ground 
with the details given by Polybius. The 
editor is much indebted to the Rev. T. 
G. Bonney, of St. John's College, Cam- 
bridge, for the following summary of 
the arguments which seem to establish 
this as Hannibal's Route, deduced from 
the writings of the Rev. Robert Ellis, of 
the same university, with references to 
the chief authorities, and to the writings 
of those who have upheld opposite con- 
clusions. 

The most condensed form for pre- 
senting the arguments of Mr. Ellis is 
to state the conditions which must be 
fulfilled by any route over the Alps 
which claims to be that of Hannibal, as 
deduced from the narrative of Polybius, 
and to compare the facts in regard to 
the Little Mont Cenis 

I. The commencement of the ascent 
of the Alps must be about 100 Roman 
miles from the junction of the Rhone 
and the Isere, reckoned along the left 
bank of the latter river. 

From Valence to Le Cheylas is 87 J 
Roman miles. 

II. The length of the route over the 
Alps, beginning at the commencement 
of the ascent of the mountains, and 
terminating at the commencement of 
the plains of Italy, must be about 150 
Roman miles. 

Prom Le Cheylas to Avigliana is 132^ 
Roman miles. 

N.B. Polybius' distances are given in 
stadia, and therefore ought to exceed 
the true distance slightly. Stadia are 
generally, in other places, found to be 
too great. 

III. At the commencement of the 
ascent of the Alps a defile must be 
found, the character of which, and of 



EOUTE C. PETIT MONT CENIS. 



55 



the surrounding country, is in ac- 
cordance with the events related by 
Polybius to have occurred in that place. 

The minor conditions this includes 
may be thus given : — 

(1.) The defile must be commanded 
by certain heights of considerable ele- 
vation; 

(2.) which must not be easily ac- 
cessible from below the defile. 

(3.) The way through the defile must 
skirt, in some places, the edge of a 
precipice. 

(4.) Immediately below the defile 
must be found a place where HannibaPs 
army could encamp ; 

(5.) which must be visible from the 
heights commanding the defile. 

(6.) Above the defile, and near it, 
must be found an open district where 
a town stands, or might have stood, and 
where Hannibal's army might have en- 
camped. 

The gorge of Le Fay, between 
Goncelin and Pontcharra, in the valley 
of the Isere, answers these conditions. 

(1.) It is commanded by the heights 
of Brame Farine ; 

(2.) which are not easy of access 
from Le Cheylas. 

(3.) The footpath from Le Cheylas 
through the gorge of Le Fay skirts the 
precipice for about J a mile. 

(4.) Between Le Cheylas and Gonce- 
lin Hannibal might have encamped. 

(5.) From these heights a large part 
of the country between Le Cheylas and 
Goncelin is visible, and part of the 
Graisivaudan. 

(6.) The valley of the Isere opens 
near the junction of the Breda, where 
the town of Pontcharra now stands. 

IV. At a place nearly half-way be- 
tween the town of the Allobroges and 
the summit of the pass * a strong white 
rock ' must be found, and the adjacent 
country must correspond with the ac- 
count of the events which took place 
near that rock. 

St. Jean de Maurienne is half-way in 
point of distance, but not quite in time : 
the rock must be near St. Jean, or a 
little above it ; such is the rock of Baune, 



about 6 or 7 miles above St. Jean, 
which will suit Polybius' account in 
every respect. 

V. A place suitable for the encamp- 
ment of Hannibal's army must be found 
at the summit of the pass. 

The plateau of the Little Mont Cenis 
meets this requirement. 

VI. From a point probably not far 
from the road over the summit of the 
pass, but yet not on the ground where 
the Carthaginians would encamp when 
they first reached the summit, the plains 
of the Po, and in all probability the 
Apennines also, ought to be visible. 

Between the plateau of the Little 
Mont Cenis and La Grande Croix, a 
ridge can be gained by a few minutes' 
walk, whence is seen the country to the 
east of the Po, and the south of the 
Tanaro, as far as the Apennines. This 
ridge is about ^ a mile long without any 
definite head, so that many hundreds 
might have been collected on it. 

VII. The commencement of the plains 
of Italy must be less than three days' 
march from the summit of the pass. 

It is 39 Roman miles, which, for a 
tired army, would be between 2 and 3 
days' march. 

VIII. The final part of the descent 
must be very steep. 

Between La Grande Croix and La 
Novalese there is a descent of more than 
3,600 ft. in 6 miles. 

IX. At a place within half a day's 
march from the summit of the pass, the 
path must lie along a precipitous moun- 
tain side, liable to be broken up for a 
space of 300 yards, and otherwise cor- 
responding with Polybius. 

Between La Ferriere and La Nova- 
lese, on the old road, there is such a 
place, distant about 4 English miles from 
La Grande Croix. 

X. The plains into which the road 
over the pass enters must have been 
inhabited by the Taurini. 

Avigliana is generally identified with 
Ad fines, the boundary between the dis- 
trict of the Taurini and the Cottian tribe 
of the Segusiani. 

The passes which have at different 



56 



COTTIAX ALPS. § 



7. CENIS DISTRICT. 



times been claimed as Hannibal's route i 
are — Great St. Bernard, Little St. Ber- 
nard, Mont Cenis, Mont Genevre, Col 
de la Seigne, and Col de la Traversette. 

The distance from the summit of the 

Great St. Bernard to plains . 61 
„ Little St. Bernard ... 82 
„ Mont Cenis . . . .39 
„ Mont Genevre . . . 53 

The actual distance probably did not 
exceed 40. Hence, the Little St. Ber- 
nard will not do. From it the plains of 
Italy cannot be seen, not even the Val 
d'Aosta; there is a fine view of the 
range of Mont Blanc, which would be 
no cheerful prospect to Hannibal's sol- 
diers; the Val d'Aosta lies in the wrong 
direction, and if Hannibal had pointed 
to the right, he would either have pointed 
to the road they had come by, or right 
into the Graian chain. The Libui, a 
tribe known to Polybius, not the Tau- 
rini, inhabited the country into which 
Hannibal would have entered had he 
gone by the Yal d'Aosta, the exit from 
which, in former days, could not have 
been very easy. 

The gorge of La Thuile is too low to 
answer to Polybius' account, the village 
of La Thuile itself being not more than 
4,700 ft. above the sea, and the gorge 
being below it. The Rocher blanc, 
below St. Germain, is an insignificant 
thing, and an army could have gone up 
the opposite bank, by way of the present 
mule road, without much difficulty. 

The latest publications on this sub- 
ject are — 

A Treatise on Hannibal's Passage of 
the Alps, in which his Route is traced 
over the Little Mont Cenis. By Robert 
Ellis, B.D. Cambridge, Deighton, 1854. 

A Criticism of Mr. Ellis's new theory 
concerning the Route of Hannibal, with 
some Remarks on the Hypothesis of M. 
Replat. By William John Law. Up- 
ham and Beet, 46 New Bond Street, 
1855. 

Mr. Ellis's Observations on Mr. Law's 
Criticism. Journal of Classical and 
Sacred Philology, No. vi. 

Mr. Law's Reply. Upham and Beet, 
1856. 



Mr. Ellis's Further Observations. 
Journal of Classical and Sacred Philo- 
logy, No. vii. 

Reply to the second part of Mr. 
Ellis's Defence. By Mr. Law. Upham 
and Beet, 1856. 

Other works on the subject are — 
Deluc, Histoire du Passage des Alpes. 
Dissertation on the Passage of Hannibal, 
by a Member of the University of Ox- 
ford. Vide also LTkest, Geographie der 
Griechen und Romer. Dr. Arnold's 
History of Rome, volume iii. King's 
Italian Valleys of the Alps, ch. iii. 
History of Piedmont, by Antonio Gal- 
lenjra, vol. i. ch. ii. 

The original accounts are — Polybius, 
bk. iii. ch. 49—60. Livy, bk. xxi. ch. 

32—38. 

In going from Bramans to the Col 
du Clapier the ascent is not so steep as 
that to the Petit Mont Cenis, and in U 
hr. from Planay the traveller mounts the 
ridge which separates the upper portion 
of the valley, or Combe d'Ambin, from 
the lower part, or Yallon de St. Pierre. 
It is the opinion of some geologists 
! that the ridge in question once ex- 
tended continuously across the valley 
so as to form great lakes, which filled 
the greater part of the Combe d'Ambin 
and the lateral valley leading to the 
Col de Galambre (Rte. D), and that 
this massive barrier has been gradually 
eaten away by the torrents, until the 
lakes were drained or filled up with 
i debris. The scenery of the Combe 
d'Ambin is singular. The valley itself 
is a trough formed between the Mont 
d'Ambin and the Cime du Bard, very 
uniform in shape, the bottom showing 
a wide expanse of green pastures, and 
the sides a succession of stony slopes ; 
but the upper part of the Mont d'Ambin, 
whenever it shows its ranges of dark 
crags surmounted by streaming glaciers, 
sufiices to give sublimity to the scene. 

About J m. beyond the summit of 
the steep ascent before mentioned are 
the chalets called Grandes Savines, where 
the track leading from the Petit Mont 
Cenis to the Col du Clapier joins 
our Rte. E. of some steep rocks, on 



EOUTE E. BRAMANS TO EXILLES AND BARDONNECHE. 



57 



a high shelf of the Cime du Bard, are 
several small lakes, of which the largest 
is the Lac Blanc. From the chalets to 
the Col the way does not present the 
slightest difficulty ; the ascent is very 
gentle until, after about 1 hr., a some- 
what more rapid rise leads to the highest 
plateau, occupied by a small lake — the 
Lac des Savines — whose dimensions vary 
according to the season. J hr. farther, 
5 hrs. from Bramans, is the summit of 
the Col du Clapier (8,1 07'), sometimes 
called Col de Clairee. From the Col 
a track, scarcely visible along the steep 
rocks, leads by the W. side of the val- 
ley of the Clairee to the Col de Touilles, 
a depression in the ridge which divides 
the Clairee from the Dora, over which 
a path descends direct to Exilles (§ 6, 
Rte. A). By that difficult, and even 
dangerous, way the Vaudois passed in 
the course of their surprising march 
under Henri Arnaud, and on the fol- 
lowing day gained a signal victory at 
Salabertrand. 

The descent from the Col towards 
Susa commences through a narrow glen 
confined between the precipitous rocks 
of the Cime du Bard, on the 1., and 
steep rocky slopes on the rt., overhung 
by a portion of the so-called Glaciers 
Penibles, forming the E. declivity of the 
Mont d'Ambin. In J hr. the traveller 
reaches a little rocky basin, traversed by 
the stream which, lower down, forms 
the Clairee. The view from this point 
is extremely interesting. From the 
verge of the precipitous rocks that fall 
away immediately below him, the tra- 
veller sees the valley of the Clairee, 
more than 3,000 ft. beneath his feet ; 
to the rt. is the rugged mountain of 
Touilles, traversed by the pass already 
referred to, and beyond it the ranges that 
enclose the valley of the Dora Eiparia; 
while on the 1., above some very steep 
rocks, are seen the remains of an ancient 
fort. It is not at first easy to guess how 
the descent is to be effected, but a prac- 
tised cragsman will soon detect the 
ledges and gullies by which he may 
accomplish his object without any real 
difficulty. The first and steepest part 



of the way is by a sort of chimney in 
the face of rocks of calcareous schist, 
where the botanist will observe with 
interest, Brassica Richeri, Saponaria 
hi tea, and other rare species. On a 
little terrace half-way down the rocks 
is a hut, perched in a position where no 
domestic animals, save goats, can move 
without difficulty. After descending in 
this way for 1^ hr. (2 hrs. from the top), 
the track quits the rocks, and crosses 
to the 1. bank of an affluent of the 
Clairee, close to a group of huts called 
Molarin. A short distance farther down 
the valley another group of hamlets is 
passed on the opposite or rt. bank of 
the Clairee. The direct way to Susa 
here leaves the banks of the stream to 
follow a watercourse, which is destined 
to irrigate the slopes about Jaillon, on 
the road of the Mont Cenis. The path 
lies along the bank or sustaining wall 
of this watercourse, which in some 
places is carried along the face of seem- 
ingly vertical rocks. Even in places 
where the rock is partly hollowed to 
form a channel for the water, there is no 
real difficulty in passing; but the route 
should not be undertaken by persons 
with weak or uncertain heads. The 
passage of the watercourse lasts nearly 
1 hr., and beyond it the path joins 
the high road of the Mont Cenis a few 
min. above Jaillon (Rte. A), 3j hrs. 
from the Col du Clapier, and 1 hr. from 
Susa. 

In taking this Rte. from Tavern ettes, 
on the plateau of the Mont Cenis, the 
mountaineer may avoid the rather mo- 
notonous W. slope of the Petit Mont 
Cenis, by ascending the N. side of the 
Cime du Bard to the group of lakes 
which lie SE. from the chalets of Sa- 
vines, joining the above- described Rte. 
about the Lac des Savines. A guide 
would be absolutely necessary. 

4 The way from Bramans to Susa 
may be varied by climbing the slopes E. 
of the Lac des Savines to the crest of 
the ridge dividing the Clairee from the 
Cenise (9,497'), and then descending 
along the ridge to the Cenis road above 
Jaillon. This route commands fins 



58 



COTTIAN ALPS. § 



7. CEXIS DISTRICT. 



views of the Roche Melon and the 
Combe de Susa.'— [W. M.] 



Route D. 

BRAMANS TO EXILLES — COL DB GA- 
LAMBRE — MONT D'AMBIN. 

The glaciers of the Mont d'Ambin 
are reputed in the Maurienne to be un- 
usually difficult and dangerous, yet they 
have not hitherto attracted the attention 
of the members of the Alpine Club. 
The Mont oVAmbin has hitherto been 
ascended only from the W. side, and is 
approached by the same track which 
leads to the Col de Galambre. This 
mounts from Flanay (see last Rte.) on 
the 1. bank of the torrent of St. Pierre, 
and follows the lateral valley which de- 
scends immediately opposite to the Petit 
Mont Cenis. After passing the Baraque 
d'Ambin, the path comes to an end at 
the head of the valley, in a wild amphi- 
theatre of rock and glacier. From 
thence a long and steep ascent to the E. 
finally leads to the ridge of the moun- 
tain, which is followed towards the NE. 
to the highest point (11,092 / ). The 
officers who erected the signal which 
still remains there describe the final 
climb as ' very perilous.' 8 hrs. walk 
from Bramans to the summit. 

Should the traveller wish to reach 
Exilles by the Colde Galambre { 10,2000, 
he should follow a direction over the 
glacier nearly due S. from the Baraque 
d'Ambin, and will descend from the top 
to Exilles by the chalets of Veraire. 
[Farther information is desired.] 



Route E. 

BRAMANS TO BARDONNECHE, BY ROCHE- 
MOLLE. 

Three passes, all of them little fre- 
quented, lead from Bramans in the valley 



I of the Arc to Bardonneche, by the Val- 
lon de Rochemolle^ one of the four glens 
which meet at that place. 

1. By the Col de Pelouze. — The 
high road to Modane is followed for 
about 3j m. to the opening of the val- 
ley of Sainte Anne, near the Fort of 
l'Esseillon. The track to the Col 
mounts through this valley, dark with 
pine forests. Before reaching the ham- 
let of Bauges a stream is crossed, which 
descends from some considerable gla- 
ciers to the SE. The highest chalets 
bear the significant name of Avalanche. 
In 5 hrs. the Col de Pelouze is attained. 
The descent to Rochemolle is compara- 
tively short, but extremely steep. On 
reaching the bottom of the valley the 
track keeps to the rt. bank of the torrent, 
and in 1 hr. from the Col reaches Roche- 
molle. 2 hrs. farther, either by the rt. or 
L bank, is Bardonneche (§ 6," Rte. F), 8 
hrs. walk from Bramans or from Mo- 
dane by this Rte. 

2. By the Col d'Etiaches. — This way, 
although difficult, is occasionally passed 
by mules in the height of summer. Just 
before reaching the hamlet of Planay 
(Rte. C), the Yal d'Etiaches opens on 
the rt. hand. 2 \ hrs. (or perhaps more ?) 
are required to reach the summit of the 
Col (9,301'), and the same time is oc- 
cupied in the very rapid descent to 
Rochemolle. At least 8 hrs., exclusive 
of halts, should be allowed for this way 
from Bramans to Bardonneche. 

3. By the Col d'Ambin. — This is a 
hunter's pass, said to be difficult and 
dangerous ; to reach Bardonneche on 
the same day it would be advisable to 
sleep at Planay or at the chalets of 
Grandes Sa vines. From the Baraque 
d'Ambin (see last Rte.) the ascent lies 
to the SW., over the glaciers which en- 
close the head of the valley. After 
passing the ridge the way turns to the 
NW., following the torrent which tra- 
verses the head of the Vallon de Roche- 
molle, and joins the track from the Col 
d'Etiaches where that valley again turns 
to the S W. 

Information as to all the above passes 
is desired. 



59 



CHAPTER III. 
DAUPHINE ALPS. 



Section 8. 
oisans district. 



Route A — Brian Qon to Grenoble — Col du 

Lautaret 62 

Route B — La Grave en Oisans to St. Jean 
de Maurienne — Col de I'ln- 
fernet 66 

Route C — Bourg d'Oisans to St. Jean de 

Maurienne . . . .67 

Route D — Bourg d'Oisans to La Chambre 6b 

Route E — Bourg d'Oisans to Allevard — 

Les Sept Laux . . .70 

Route F — Allevard to La Chambre— Pic 

du Frene 72 

Section 9. 
pelvoux district. 

Route A — Bourg d'Oisans to La Berarde— 

Valley of the Veneon . . 73 



The extensive mountain region which 
lies between the Cottian Alps and the 
valley of the Rhone occupies nearly the 
entire of the ancient French province 
of Dauphine, whose limits correspond 
to the three modern departments of 
Drome, Isere, and Hautes Alpes. The 
first and most westerly of these, lying 
between the Rhone and the Drac, is 
traversed by mountain ranges, chiefly 
calcareous, of which but two or three 
summits exceed 7,000 feet in height. 
Rarely visited by tourists, it is said to 
contain much picturesque and pleasing 
scenery, but not sufficiently Alpine in 
character to fall within the scope of 
this work. The higher mountains, or 
Alps of Dauphine, are included within 
the two departments of Isere and 
Hautes Alpes. As stated in the intro- 



Route B — Guilestre to Vallouise — Ascent 

of the Mont Pelvoux . . 76 
Route C — La Berarde to Vallouise, by 

the Col des Ecrins . . .79 
Route D — La Berarde to Vallouise, by the 

Col de la Tempe . . .81 
Route E — La Berarde to Vallouise, by the 

Col du Sele .... 81 
Route F — La Berarde to Vallouise, by the 

Val Godemar, Col de Sais, Col 

du Celar ..... 82 
Route G — Vallouise to La Grave en Oisans 

— Col du Glacier Blanc . . 83 
Route H — Vallouise to Monestier — Col 

del'Echauda .... 84 
Route I — La Grave en Oisans to St. Chris- 

tophe — Col de la Selle . 85 
Route K — Vallouise to Embrun, by the 

Valleys of the Hautes Alpes 85 
Route L — Bourg d'Oisans to Grenoble, by 

La Mure 86 

Route M — La Mure to La Chapelle in Val 

Godemar 88 



duction to the last chapter, they are 
separated from the dividing range of 
the Cottian Alps by the valley of the 
Durance and its tributary the Guisarme, 
which rises in the range W. of the 
Mont Tabor. The entire mass is deeply 
cut by the valley of the Romanche, 
through which the great road is carried 
from Grenoble to Briancon, and thence 
into Italy, crossing from the valley of 
the Romanche to that of the Durance 
by a comparatively low pass — the Col 
du Lautaret. 

Of the two Alpine groups thus formed, 
the loftiest and most extensive is that 
lying to the S. of the Romanche, which 
we shall call, from its best known, 
though not its highest, peak, the Pelvoux 
district. No part of the Alps is so 
nearly isolated as this huge mass ; for 



CO 



DAUPHINE ALPS. 



excepting the above-mentioned ridge of 
the Col de Lautaret, it is completely 
enclosed on the S., E., and N., by the 
valleys of the Durance and the Ro- 
manche, and on the W. by that of the 
Drac, connected with the Durance by 
the almost level depression through 
which the high road from Grenoble is 
carried to Gap, and thence to Sisteron. 

The Alpine range lying N. of the 
Romanche has some apparent connexion 
with the Cottian Alps described in the 
last chapter. It is, in fact, one of the 
three considerable ridges which diverge 
from the Mont Tabor ; and lying as 
it does between the valleys of the Arc 
and the Romanche, it formed the fron- 
tier line between France and Savoy 
until the recent annexation of the latter 
province. As the two streams above- 
named both fall into the Isere, the latter 
river forms the natural boundary of 
this district to the westward. There is 
no well-known name by which the 
range here denned can conveniently be 
designated. As the greater part of the 
district which properly belongs to Dau- 
phine is known as the Pays (f Oisans, 
while the Savoy portion forms but a 
small part of the district of Maurienne, 
it appears most convenient to call this 
the Oisans district. It is true that M. 
Elie de Beaumont and other writers 
have applied the name Montagnes de 
l'Oisans to the entire group of the High 
Alps of Dauphine ; but this name is 
objectionable, and has not been gene- 
rally adopted: for in truth none but a 
very small portion of the Pelvoux dis- 
trict, as defined in this work, was ever 
included in the territory which obtained 
the name of Oisans from the tribe of 
the Uceni, found by the Romans in 
occupation of the valley of the Ro- 
manche, and which retained its inde- 
pendence after the rest of Dauphine 
had been united to the Crown of 
France. 

No portion of the Alps, and perhaps 
no part of Europe, is so ill-provided as 
Dauphine with all that is required for 
the comfort of travellers. The inns, 
with very few exceptions, are repulsive 



to an unusual degree, food is bad and 
hard to procure, and the habits of the 
people are filthy beyond example. As 
a general rule, each description of insect 
| that is known to plague the human 
race in these latitudes is sure to be 
found in every dwelling. The natural 
consequence has been, that while tour- 
ists and travellers from every country 
visit the Alps for exercise and enjoy- 
ment, the French Alps remain almost 
unknown. With all this, the natural 
attractions of the country are of a high 
order. Looking to the height of the 
principal peaks, and the grandeur of 
the rock and glacier scenery, Dauphine 
ranks next after the Pennine and Ber- 
nese Alps, and some of the higher 
valleys are scarcely anywhere to be 
matched for wild and savage sublimity. 
Only within the last few years some 
daylight has begun to break through 
the obscurity in which this region has 
been involved ; for although M. Elie 
de Beaumont and other French men of 
science have visited the country, and in 
1841 Professor Forbes explored some 
of the high glacier passes in the neigh- 
bourhood of the Mont Pelvoux, while 
a few other Englishmen have occa- 
sionally traversed some portion of the 
district, the absence of a correct map 
made it impossible to combine together 
their partial observations so as to form 
consistent and accurate conclusions. 
During the interval, however, the en- 
gineers engaged in the general survey 
of France have laboured assiduously 
in this region. They have reached 
many of the higher peaks, and have 
nearly completed the triangulation of 
the entire country. The sheets of the 
general map, which will contain the 
results of their labours, are so far ad- 
vanced that in five or six years they 
may probably be given to the public. 
In the meantime the best, and almost 
the only, general map of Dauphine is 
that of General Bourcet, now more 
than 100 years old, having been first 
published in 1760. Several French 
writers have lately published accounts 
of mountain excursions in this district, 



§ 8. VALLEY OF THE ROMANCHE. 



61 



and the first part of a detailed Guide to 
Dauphine, by M. Joanne, has very 
lately appeared [1862], soon to be 
followed by the second part, which will 
include the higher mountains. These 
works contain a great deal of new and 
apparently accurate information re- 
specting the more easily accessible 
portions of the group; but it is to the 
members of the Alpine Club that the 
public is mainly indebted for a correct 
knowledge of that vast mass of snow- 
covered peaks which have been vaguely 
designated under the collective name 
of Mont Pelvoux. Several interesting 
papers upon this district have appeared 
in the second volume of the Second 
Series of ' Peaks, Passes, and Glaciers ;' 
but it is chiefly with the assistance of 
Mr. F. P. Tuckett, who is equally well 
known as an excellent mountaineer and 
a diligent and accurate observer, that 
the editor is enabled to complete his 
account of this group, and to correct 
the errors of all, even the latest, 
writers who have preceded him. Mr. 
Tuckett has been favoured with the 
unpublished results of the French sur- 
vey so far as this has yet advanced, 
and these, along with his own observa- 
tions, have been kindly placed by him 
at the editor's disposal. 

Those who may be willing to explore 
this region are strongly advised to de- 
pend as little as possible upon the 
resources of the country. A sleeping- 
bag will enable them to escape the 
most grievous of the plagues that afflict 
ordinary travellers. Neither spiked 
poles, serviceable ice-axes, nor trust- 
worthy ropes, are to be found; and as 
supplies are often deficient, a moderate 
provision of tea, chocolate, portable 
soup, or other convenient luxuries, will 
be sure to turn to account. To explore 
the upper region, or attempt the ascent 
of the higher peaks, a traveller will do 
well to engage the assistance of at least 
one first-rate Chamouni or Swiss guide. 
Among the native guides are a few 
good cragsmen, but scarcely one who 
is qualified to cope with the difficulties 
of glacier travelling. 



SECTION 8. 

OISANS DISTRICT VALLEY OF THE 

ROMANCHE. 

One of the two streams whose union at 
Briancon forms the Durance — the Gui- 
sanne — flowing in a direct line from 
the NW., leads directly to the Col du 
Galibier (§ 7), which is generally taken 
as the limit between the Cottian Alps 
and the northern range of the Dauphine 
Alps. It may be doubted whether the 
mountain ranges lying to the W. of that 
limit, and forming the watershed be- 
tween the Arc and the Romanche, 
should be described as a single chain, or 
as a succession of three comparatively 
short ridges transverse to the direction 
of the main valleys, and approaching 
to that of the meridian. The highest 
of these partly separate groups lies 
immediately N. of La Grave en Oisans. 
It includes several lofty peaks, especially 
one double — or triple-headed summit, 
which is known as Aiguille cTArve, or 
Trois Elions, said to be 11,519 ft. in 
height, and the Pic de Goleon (1 1,250'). 
This group is very imperfectly known, 
and deserves the attention of moun- 
taineers. 

Between this and the group of the 
Grandes Rousses is a depression in the 
range over which lie several passes 
which are noticed in the following pages. 
The Grandes Rousses form a more con- 
tinuous mass than that just referred to, 
and are, like it, directed from N. to S. 
The highest peak — L'Etendart — has 
been determined byM. Hericart deThu- 
ry at 11,906', probably too high. This 
group has been visited by several French 
geologists; and an account of its geo- 
logical relations, with a map and several 
rude sketches, has been given by M. 
Dausse in the second volume of the 
Memoires de la Socicte Geologique 
de France. It is not known that the 
higher peaks of this, or the preceding 
group, have yet been ascended. 

W. of the Grandes Rousses, and 
separated from them by the valley of the 



62 



DAUPHINE ALFS. § 



8. OISANS DISTRICT. 



Olle, and by the passes leading from 
thence into Savoy, is a less lofty, but 
much longer, ridge, extending paral- 
lel to the course of the Isere from 
Vizille nearly to Aiguebelle, a dis- 
tance of more than 30 miles, and its 
influence on the direction of the val- 
leys is seen in the bend which the Arc 
makes to the N., and the Romanche to 
the S., before they respectively join the 
Isere. This range includes several lofty 
summits, of which the most conspicuous 
are the Pic de Belledonne (about 9,810'), 
near Grenoble, and the Pic du Frene 
(9,203'), W. of Allevard. The passes 
over the main chain between the Oisans 
district and the valley of the Arc are 
little frequented ; and a traveller willing 
to undertake excursions less laborious 
than the great glacier passes of the Pel- 
voux might usefully undertake to ex- 
plore the less formidable group which 
lies N. of the village of La Grave, or 
else that of the Grandes Pousses. 



Route A. 

BRIANCON TO GRENOBLE — COL DU LAU- 
TARET. 





Kilo- 


English 




metres 


miles 


Monestier 


14 


m 


Col du Lautaret . 


10 




La Grave en Oisans 


10 


3 


Le Dauphin 


14 




Bourg d'Oisans . 


16 


10 


Rinuperoux . 


16 


10 


Vizille . 


16 


10 


Grenoble 


17 


10§ 




"773 


"Toi 



The new imperial road is traversed by 
courier every night, and in summer also 
by diligence from Briancon to Grenoble. 
Distances between Bourg d'Oisans and 
Briancon may require correction since 
the completion of the new road. 

As mentioned in the preceding chap- 
ter, the upper valley of the Durance is 
reached from the side of Piedmont by 
lower and easier passes than any which 
traverse the main chain of the Alps be- 



tween the Tyrol and the Mediterranean. 
This, however, has not much availed to 
facilitate communication between Italy 
and the N. or centre of France. To 
reach Grenoble or Lyons from Briancon, 
it was necessary either to cross the range 
of the Dauphine Alps intervening be- 
tween the Durance and the Isere, or to 
make a long circuit by Gap and the val- 
ley of the Drac, involving a detour of at 
least 50 miles. The only point at which 
it appeared practicable to carry a car- 
riage road over the Dauphine Alps was 
by the Col du Lautaret, which, although 
the lowest in that group, is considerably 
higher than the Mont Genevre, and is 
approached on the W. side by the valley 
of the Romanche, beset with formidable 
obstacles to the construction of a road. 
After more than half a century of alter- 
nate activity and neglect, the new im- 
perial road, commenced by the first 
Napoleon, was completed in 1861, 
and may vie with the most celebrated 
Alpine passes in point of wild and 
striking scenery visible from the road, 
and for the remarkable engineering 
works by which the difficulties of the 
undertaking have been surmounted. 

For travellers who may take this route 
from Turin to Grenoble with post horses, 
the best stopping-place between the lat- 
ter town and Susa is at the Baths of 
Monestier, when these do not happen to 
be overcrowded in the bathing season. 
The road is sufficiently interesting to 
reward a pedestrian, excepting the por- 
tion between Grenoble and Riouperoux. 

Leaving Briancon, the high road is 
carried for several miles, in a very direct 
line along the left bank of the Guisanne. 
In ascending the valley, which is popu- 
lous and tolerably fertile — unlike the 
usual character of Dauphine scenery — 
there is no striking object in view ; but 
when the route is made in the opposite 
direction, the views of the little city of 
Briancon, crowned by its formidable 
forts, and sometimes backed by the dis- 
tant peak of Monte Viso, are extremely 
striking. At a height of 4,898 feet, 

j still surrounded by barley-fields and 

i fruit-trees, stands 



v" i 



1 



04 

b 
L 
B 
tli 

te 
re 
lo- 
tn 



ROUTE A. COL DU LAUTARET. 



63 



Monestier (several inns open during 
the bathing season ; best chez Armand, 
very good for Dauphine), a large village, 
frequented in summer on account of the 
mineral waters, which are used inter- 
nally, and for baths. 

W. of Monestier, but not visible from 
the valley, is a very lofty range, ex- 
tending from the Crete de Dourmillouse 
( 12,008') to the Col du Lautaret, the 
peaks of which might be most conve- 
niently attacked from this side ; and 
across the range lies a pass, the Col 
d'Arcines ( 7,7 69' ?), leading to La Grave, 
and more direct, though more laborious, 
than the Lautaret. (See § 9.) 

In ascending the valley of the Gui- 
sanne, the poor hamlets of Casset and 
La Madeleine are passed, occasional 
glimpses of the surrounding glaciers are 
gained ; but none of the higher summits 
are visible from this side of the pass. 
A short way beyond La Madeleine the 
road quits the valley of the Guisanne, 
leaving on the right the track which 
follows the torrent to its source at the 
Col de Galibier (§ 6). 

The summit of the Col du Lautaret 
is 6,740 ft. above the sea, according to 
Forbes ; but owing to its situation in 
the centre of a glacier district, the snow 
lies longer here than on many Alpine 
passes of equal or greater height. The 
view of the peaks of the Pelvoux group, 
and the glaciers which stream down 
from between them towards the valley 
of the Romanche, is extremely grand. 
Throughout the descent, and even from 
the village of La Grave, the Aiguille du 
Midi (13,0810, towering 8,000 ft. above 
the valley at its base, is one of the most 
striking objects in the entire range of 
the Alps. 

On the summit of the Col is an ancient 
stone building, on the site of a Maison 
Hospitalier founded in the eleventh 
century, which serves as a refuge in 
bad weather, and where wine, and some- 
times bread and cheese, may be found. 
A peasant with his numerous family 
lives, or did live, there in a single room, 
after the fashion of Dauphine, along 
with the cattle and various domestic 



animals. A new inn was in progress in 
1861. 

The summit of the Lautaret and the 
slopes towards Villard d'Arene are 
celebrated for the variety of rare Alpine 
plants there to be found. A list would 
include a large portion of the Alpine 
flora. 

The geologist will not fail to remark 
the singular relations of the liassic 
limestone strata on the W. side of the 
Col, with the adjoining crystalline 
rocks. In several places the former is 
seen to underlie extensive masses of 
gneiss, or semi-stratified granite, afford- 
ing a remarkable example of the so* 
called fan structure. One section 
on the S. side of the valley opposite 
Villard d'Arene has been noticed 
and described by Elie de Beaumont; 
and Professor Forbes pointed out the 
existence of another, in the lower part 
of the mountain, which separates the 
main branch of the Romanche from 
that which leads towards the Col de 
Lautaret. The section is seen equally 
well from both sides of the promontory 
between the two torrents. 

The new road avoids the group of 
houses, called Pied du Col, which stood 
by the old track, and after some long 
zigzags reaches the wretched hamlet 
of Villard d'Arene. About 2 miles 
farther, after passing through a tunnel 
more than 300 yards in length, it reaches 
the no less wretched village — 

La Grave en Oisans (Inn : chez Juge, 
sometimes affords tolerable fare, sleep- 
ing quarters somewhat improved, dear, 
charge for a vehicle exorbitant), placed 
in the midst of grand Alpine scenery, 
at a height of 5,007 ft. : this would be 
a favourite resort for mountaineers, if 
cleanliness and comfort were not com- 
modities unknown in the district. A 
chasseur mentioned by Mr. Elliot 
Blackstone in 'Peaks, Passes, and Gla- 
ciers,' would apparently be useful as a 
guide to anyone bent on exploring the 
neighbouring glaciers. 

A short way below La Grave the 
road passes close to a very picturesque 
waterfall, and on the opposite or S„ 



04 



DAUPHIN E ALPS. § 



8. OISANS DISTPJCT. 



side of the valley are the extensive lead- 
mines of Les Freaux. From hence to 
Le Dauphin scarcely a house is to be 
seen. The Romanche flows through a 
deep and gloomy ravine, called La 
Combe de Malaval, which sometimes 
opens a little, and exhibits, in wild 
confusion, huge masses of rock torn 
down from the crags above; at other 
times the precipices approach more 
nearly together, and the glacier streams 
that reach their verge spring from 
a prodigious height into the chasm 
through which the road is carried. One 
of the finest of these cataracts is the 
so-called Saut de la Pucelle near to Le 
Dauphin, which may in some respects 
advantageously compare with the Stanb- 
bach. The cliffs forming the S. wall 
of the valley are crowned by the great 
Glacier de Lans, the largest in Dau- 
phine, which pours down portions of 
its frozen mass through the numerous 
gorges that open into the Combe. The 
Glacier de Lans is quite unexplored: it 
might probably be reached by a narrow 
valley joining the Romanche a little 
above Freney. The road crosses from 
the rt, to the 1. bank of the Romanche 
a little above Le Dauphin, a hamlet 
with a poor inn, standing in the midst 
of huge fragments of fallen rock. About 
2 miles farther is Freney, where rather 
better quarters may be found by a tired 
traveller. From hence two paths lead to 
the valley of the Arc in Savoy (Rte. C), 
and another leads in the opposite direc- 
tion by a pass of no great height to 
Venos^ in the valley of St. Christophe 

(§ 9)- 

Between Freney and Bourg d Oisans 
the valley is contracted to a mere 
defile, enclosed between vertical rocks 
of gneiss. The Romanche has cut 
for itself a channel at a great depth 
below the level of the road, which is 
carried along the left bank, sometimes 
along ledges cut into the rock, some- 
times supported on terraces of masonry, 
and in one case carried through a 
tunnel 234 yards in length. At the 
Pont de Guillerme the road crosses 
back to the right bank near the 



confluence of the Veneon, and de- 
scends from the gorge into an open 
nearly level reach of richly cultivated 
country, enclosed between mountains of 
moderate height, forming an unex- 
pected contrast to the scenery hitherto 
prevailing. In the midst of the open 
valley lies the tOAvn of Bourg d 1 Oisans 
(Inns : Hotel de Milan, where the dili- 
gences stop, chez Martin, pretty good; 
H. Josserand, < very fair,' closed? F.E.B. ; 
' H. du Dragon ; ' Joanne). Here, as 
well as elsewhere in Dauphine, the inn- 
keepers take advantage of strangers 
whenever they can do so. A char from 
hence to Briancon costs 50 fr. There 
is nothing here to interest a stranger 
except the view of the opening of the 
Combe de Malval and the valley of St. 
Christophe, with the snowy range be- 
tween, rising to a height of more than 
8,000 feet above the streams which meet 
at its base, close to the town. The 
neighbouring mountains are rich in 
minerals. Extensive iron-mines are 
worked in the valley of the Olle, and gold 
and argentiferous lead are found in suffi- 
cient abundance to repay the working. 

[Many interesting mountain excur- 
sions may be made from Bourg d'Oi- 
sans. several of which are incident- 
ally described in this section. The 
passes leading to Uriage, and the chain 
of the Belledonne, are included in § 10. 
To a mountaineer, the most interesting 
objects in the neighbourhood are the 
peaks of the Grandes Rousses. The edi- 
tor has not heard of any attempt to ascend 
these peaks, though some, if not all, of 
them are probably accessible. A tra- 
veller intending to attack them should 
take supplies with him from Bourg 
d'Oisans, and be prepared to bivouac 
at a considerable height, or else to pass 
an uncomfortable night in one of the 
higher chalets. An easy excursion 
may be made to the Lac Blanc, which 
lies near the S. base of the central 
peaks. Passing by the high road the 
bridge over the Romanche opposite the 
Bourg, a track mounts nearly due N. 
by the villages of La Garde and Huez 
to the plateau of Brandes — about 2^ 



ROUTE A. INUNDATION OF 1219. 



65 



hours. Here are extensive remains of 
ancient buildings, popularly attributed 
to the Romans. The whole neighbour- 
hood abounds in mineral wealth, and 
the guide will point out the site of 
many mines now abandoned. Higher 
up are considerable deposits of anthra- 
cite, which are worked in two places. 
An ascent of 1 hour from Brandes 
leads to the Lac Blanc (8,360'), one of 
the highest lakes, for its dimensions, in 
the entire chain of the Alps. It is 
nearly ^ mile long and 110 yards 
wide, and is commanded by one of the 
peaks of the Grandes Rousses, about 
1 L000 feet in height. The distant view 
is very extensive. On the 1SE. shore 
of the lake are seen the traces of ancient 
mining works, and the remains of a 
paved road, constructed at some early 
period for the service of the miners. It 
is in some places either covered over or 
carried away by the moraines of exist- 
ing glaciers. From the lake it is easy 
to descend by Clavans to Freney, in the 
valley of the Romanche.] 

The road to Grenoble follows the 
course of the Rom.mche in a NW. 
direction for 5 or 6 miles, to its junc- 
tion with the Olle, where it is turned 
aside at right angles to its previous 
course by the ridge extending from the 
Pic de Belledonne, to Vizille. The 
valley is again contracted in passing 
between the last-named peak and the 
Taillefer on the S. side, and is here 
called Combe de Gavet. The hamlets 
of Livet, jRiouperoux and Gavet are 
passed, and at nearly 16 miles from 
Bourg d'Oisans is the larger village of 
Sechilienne. 

[From hence an interesting excursion 
may be made to the summit of the 
Taillefer (9,387'), which is said to com- 
mand an admirable view of the higher 
Alps of Dauphine. 1 hour 20 minutes 
suffices to reach the hamlet of La Morte, 
where, in case of need, sleeping quarters 
upon hay njay be procured. From 
hence the ascent lies through pine 
woods and over open pastures, until the 
track approaches some steep rocks. A 
small tarn is left upon the right, and 



the track keeps along the base of the 
rocks until an abandoned mine is 
reached, where lead ore and sulphate 
of barytes were formerly extracted. 
The way to the top lies along a ridge, 
called Arete de Brouffier, overlooking 
the glen of Valloire to the right and 
the Combe de Gavet on the left. The 
ridge leads to a small plateau usually 
covered with snow, and from thence a 
second ridge leads up to the highest 
peak. It is possible to descend by a 
steeper and more difficult way to Gavet 
on the N. side of the mountain, or by 
the E. face to Ornon (§ 9, Rte. L), and 
thence to Bourg d'Oisans.] 

In travelling from Bourg d'Oisans to 
Vizille the traveller may see some slight 
traces of one of the most remarkable 
geological catastrophes, whose history 
has been preserved by authentic records. 
In the course of the twelfth century a 
terrific landslip from the Voudene, a 
mountain on the N. side of the Combe 
de Gavet, completely barred the course 
of the Romanche, which rose to such a 
height that the plain of Oisans, where 
the Bourg now stands, was converted 
into a large lake, more than 30 feet 
deep. Villages and farms with a large 
part of the population utterly disap- 
peared, and the survivors gained a sub- 
sistence by fishing on the site of their 
former dwellings, then known as the 
Lac de St. Laurent. This state of 
things continued until the night of Sept. 
14, 1219, when the barrier gave way, 
and the pent-up waters, suddenly set 
free, swept with fearful violence down 
the valley. Of the villages near the banks 
of the river not a trace remained, and 
the inundation reached even to Greno- 
ble, where crowds of fugitives, stopped 
in their flight by a gate over the stone 
bridge, were carried off by the flood. 
The present fertility of the plain of 
Oisans, and the transported blocks which 
are scattered over the valley about 
Vizille, owe their origin to this cata- 
strophe, more enduring in its effects than 
the storms of war which have since 
repeatedly swept over the same district. 
About 4h miles from Sechilienne the 



66 



DAUPHINE ALPS. § 



8. 01 SANS DISTRICT. 



road reaches Vizille (Inns : Europe ; 1 
Pare ; both poor and dirty), an ill-built 
and wretched looking town, which never- 
theless supports a thriving manufactur- 
ing population. The Chateau of the 
Constable Lesdiguieres passed before 
the revolution into the hands of the 
Perier family, who have established here 
an extensive factory for cotton spinning 
and cotton printing, with other works, 
which give employment to 2,000 persons. 
The castle was destroyed by fire in 1825, 
but has been rebuilt nearly on the same 
plan as the former edifice, and the park 
remains nearly in the same condition as 
under its former owners. 

Half-way between Vizille and Gre- 
noble is Claix, where there is a remark- 
able bridge over the Drac, built in 1611, 
the parapets of which command a fine 
view of the surroundingmountain ranges. 

Grenoble (Inns : H. de l'Europe, 
4 good and clean,' F.F.T.; H. des Am- 
bassadeurs ; H. des Trois Dauphins),the 
ancient capital of Dauphine, and a for- 
tress of the first class, stands on the 
Isere, close to its junction w r ith the com- 
bined streams of the Drac and the Ro- 
manche. No city in France, and scarce 
any elsewhere in Europe, enjoys so fine 
a position; but the filthy customs of the 
inhabitants make it a disagreeable stop- 
ping place for strangers. It is connected 
by railway with the main line from 
Lyons to Marseilles at St. Rambert. 
Five trains daily take nearly 3 hours 
to travel 57 miles. A more direct line 
to Lyons, by Bourgoin, is to be opened 
for traffic before the close of this year 
(1862). A line to Chambery along the 
left bank of the Isere is in course of 
construction. At the shop of Messrs. 
Maisonville, booksellers and publishers, 
the traveller may find a large collection 
of works connected with local topo- 
graphy, history, &c. The geological 
essays of Professor Lory, and the 
botanical information contained in the 
sketches by M. Antonin Mace, deserve 
especial notice by the lovers of natural 
science. At the same establishment is 
published a collection of photographic 
views in Dauphine and Savoy, by MM. 



Muzet and Bajat, some of which are 
said to be excellent. 



Route B. 

LA GRAVE EX OISANS TO ST. JEAN DE 
MAURI ENNE — COL DE L'lXFERXET. 
A laborious day's walk of at least 12 hours. 

The ascent commences immediately 
behind the village of La Grave, and 
commands fine views of the Combe de 
Malaval and the higher peaks of the 
Pelvoux group. After gaining the first 
step in the ascent, the path overlooks 
the stream which, falling over a ledge 
of granite, forms the beautiful cascade 
of Les Freaux (Rte. A). This stream 
intersects the junction of the granite 
with the overlying strata of (liassic ?) 
limestone. Mounting through the ra- 
vine the traveller soon reaches the last 
village on this side of the pass, called 
Chazelets. From hence a continuous 
ascent leads to the Col de Vlnfernet, 
whose height was estimated by Professor 
Forbes at 5,000 feet above La Grave, 
or about 10,000 feet above the sea, 
It was deeply covered with fresh snow 
when passed by him in August 1841. 
The summit commands a magnificent 
view of the glaciers and peak of the 
Pelvoux group seen across the valley of 
the Roman che, and the entire w r ay from 
thence to Chazelets the same grand ob- 
jects remain in view ; so that there 
would be some advantage in taking this 
pass from the Savoy side. The descent 
from the Col to St. Jean de Maurienne 
is very long, and lies for many miles 
over limestone rocks, where no water can 
be obtained. 

The above brief notice is taken from 
Professor Forbes's work, * Norway and 
its Glaciers.' Further information is 
desired. 



ROUTE C«__ VALLEY OF THE ARVAN. 



67 



Route C. 

BOURG D'OISANS TO ST. JEAN DE 
MAURIENNE. 

12 hours' steady walking by the Col d'Agnelin 
or Col du Pre Nouveau — nearly 13 hours by 
Col Perrant. 

A direct line drawn from Bourg 
d'Oisans to St. Jean de Maurienne 
would traverse the higher peaks of the 
mass of the Grandes Rousses. and to 
avoid this formidable obstacle it is ne- 
cessary to make a considerable detour. 
The shortest route lies on the E. side of 
that range; but whichever of the three 
or four practicable courses may be taken, 
it will involve a long day's walk of 
from 12 to 15 hours. 

The high road to Brian con is fol- 
lowed for about 8 miles until, a little 
above the hamlet of Freney (Rte. A), 
a bridge crosses the Romanche close to 
the junction of the Ferrand torrent. 
From hence a path mounts by steep 
zigzags to the hamlet of Mizoen, which 
commands a fine view of the Combe de 
Malval, and from thence descending to 
the bank of the torrent leads (in J 
hour from the bridge) to a point where 
the valley forks, The main branch 
mounts nearly due N. to the hamlets of 
Clavans and Clavans d'en Hautj but 
the traveller should keep to the rt. 
branch; and in 20 min. attains the 
wretched village of Besse. From hence 
he has the choice of three ways, of 
which the first described is the more 
direct, the second somewhat easier and 
more frequented, and the third rather 
longer and more interesting in point of 
scenery. 

1. The track by the Col dAgnelin 
mounts to the N. across mountain pas- 
tures, and, bearing somewhat to the 
rt., gains a grassy col or depression 
in the ridge, from whence it descends 
to the Chalet du Yallon, and soon after 
bends to the E. through an Alpine glen 
called La Combe de Tirequoy. On the 
rt. hand a track mounts very steeply 
to the S. towards a pass on the shoulder 
of the Pic du Mas de la Grave (9,9 17 
by which it is possible to return to 

F 



Besse. A little farther on another 
track mounts to the SE., and, passing a 
col, joins the path of the Col de l'ln- 
fernet (Rte. B). The true route here 
turns again to the K, and in 2^ hrs. 
from Besse gains the crest of the Col 
d'Agnelin, which lies immediately E. of 
the Cime des Torches (9, 702'). From 
the Col the ravine of the Combe d'Ag- 
nelin descends abruptly towards the 
valley below, but the traveller keeps to 
the left along the slopes of the Cime 
des Torches until he gains the ridge 
which separates the Yallon d'Entraigues 
on the 1. from the Combe d'Agnelin on 
his rt. hand. Along this ridge he 
descends in 1 hr. from the Col to 
Vallonet, 4| hrs.' walk from St. Jean 
de Maurienne (§7). 

2. If the traveller should prefer the 
more frequented path of the Col du 
Pre Nouveau, he must follow at first the 
track from the village of Besse as 
above described, but keep more directly 
to* the N M until, after passing a rocky 
gap, he approaches the stream of La 
Vaiette, which descends nearly due S. 
through a glen, along which lies the 
path to the Col. After ascending for 
nearly 2 hrs. from Besse the stream is 
crossed,, and the rt. bank followed 
for J hr. farther to the junction 
of two torrents, which unite to form 
the Yalette. From hence less than 
J hour's ascent to the NE. suffices 
to reach the Col du Pre Nouveau 
(7,717'), a pass quite enclosed by the 
higher mountains on either side, and 
commanding no distant view. The 
pastures on both sides of the Col are of 
extraordinary luxuriance, owing, no 
doubt, to the rapid disintegration of 
the prevailing rock — an argillaceous 
shale. The descent is at first gentle, 
and then, after passing a chalet, be- 
comes rather steep till, about J hour 
below the Col, the junction of two 
torrents is reached. From thence the 
path is carried along the E. side of a 
glen, abounding in rich pastures, and 
afcer passing a number of scattered 
hamlets, which make up the commune 
of St. Sorlin d'Arves, attains the village 
2 



68 



DAUPHIN E ALPS. § 



8. OISANS DISTRICT. 



of St. Jean oVArvis, where there is a 
rough inn. 2 hrs. suffice for the de- 
scent from the Col, but 4 should be 
allowed for the ascent when the pass is 
taken in the opposite direction. From 
St. Jean d'Arves it is possible to follow 
the Arvan to St. Jean de Maurienne; 
but the path which keeps to the E. side 
of the valley is very circuitous, and the 
more direct course is to mount from 
the former village to a low pass called 
Col (TArve, from whence grassy slopes 
lead rapidly down, due N., to a torrent 
— a tributary of the Arvan. Again 
ascending for a short distance, the tra- 
veller reaches Villarambert, and, follow- 
ing the steep mule-track, descends to 
the next village of Font Couverte, and 
from thence to St. Jean de Maurienne, 
distant 3 hrs. from St. Jean d' Aires, 
but 4 hrs. when travelling in the oppo- 
site direction. 

3. The route just described may be 
varied by following the more westerly 
of the two torrents which meet about 
J hour below the Col du Pre Nou- 
veau. The torrent is called Grand 
Suuvage, and descends from a peak of 
the same name, called also Vermil- 
ion, one of the range of the Grandes 
Rousses. Leaving on the L a chalet 
called Ovel, the track turns to the 
right, and gains the dividing range at 
a pass called Col Perrant. The path 
which descends on the N. side joins that 
from the Col du Pre Nouveau in about 
| hr. from the summit. This way involves 
a slight detour, but the Col Perrant has 
the advantage of commanding a very 
fine view. Each of the Rtes. here de- 
scribed is long and fatiguing, involving 
many separate ascents and descents, 
and the way, though nowhere difficult, 
is scarcely to be found without a local 
guide. It is quite possible to sleep at 
Freney or at St. Jean d'Arves, and so 
shorten the dav's work. 

For a more circuitous but less labori- 
ous way to St. Jean de Maurienne by 
the Croix de Per, see next Route. 



Route D. 

BOURG D'OISANS TO LA CHAMBRE. 

13 hrs. by the Combe d'Olle, 10§ hrs. by Vau- 
jany. 

Although the distance in a direct line 
from Bourg d'Oisans to La Chambre, 
in the valley of the Arc, is greater than 
to St. Jean de Maurienne, the way is 
somewhat shorter and less laborious; so 
that this is the easiest course for a 
pedestrian wishing to enter Savoy from 
the valley of the Romanche. In fol- 
lowing the track by the valley of the 
Olle, a guide is scarcely required in fine 
weather, but it might be difficult for a 
stranger to find the short-cut by Vau- 
jany without assistance. 

On leaving Bourg d'Oisans the high 
road to Grenoble is followed for 5 m. 
to the hamlet of Sables, close to the 
confluence of the Olle with the Ro- 
manche. Crossing the latter river by 
the Pont Rouge, the track follows for a 
short distance the L bank of the Olle, 
and then passing to the rt. bank by the 
bridge of Perniere, in f hr. from Sa- 
bles, or 2 -j hrs. from the Bourg, attains 
the large village of Allemont (inn is, 
or was, poor and dirty), overlooked 
by the ruined castie of Rochechinard, 
which commands a magnificent view of 
the glaciers of the Grandes Pousses and 
the other neighbouring mountains. The 
ranges which enclose the valley above 
Allemont are extraordinarily rich in me- 
tallic ores, which elsewhere are rarely 
or neverfound together. The iron-works 
are still in activity, but the silver-mines, 
which have been worked at intervals 
for nearly a century, have but ill-repaid 
their promoters, whether from the in- 
herent difficulties of the undertaking, or 
from want of capital and skill in the 
management, [The last-named mines, 
situated on the mountain called Cha- 
lanches, at about 4,000 feet above the 
village, may be reached in 2^ or 3 hrs., 
and cannot fail to interest the mineral' 



ROUTE D. VALLEY OF THE OLLE. 



69 



ogist. On this single mountain, gold, 
silver, mercury, nickel, cobalt, copper, 
zinc, iron, manganese, and antimony, 
have been found variously combined, 
besides beds of anthracite.] 

From Allemont the way to La 
Chambre follows the right bank of the 
Olle due N. for 3 hrs. (2j hrs. descend- 
ing) to the hamlet of Bivier (no inn), 
which stands several hundred feet above 
the torrent. The scenery is rich and 
pleasing, with some fine views of the 
mountains which enclose the valley. 
Above Rivierthe Combe (TOlle turns to 
the eastward, and the scenery becomes 
wilder. Passing close to a line water- 
fall, the track enters the Defile de 
Maupas, leading in 2 hr. from Rivier 
to a large chalet, frequented by shep- 
herds from Provence, called La Grande 
Maison. This is opposite to the junc- 
tion of the Cochette torrent, which 
descends from the SE. to join the Olle. 
The valley here gradually turns to the 
NE., and many tributary torrents are 
parsed. The first, on the right bank, 
called the Laune, leads by the Col 
d'Agnelin (not to be confounded with 
that so named in Rte. C) in 2 hrs. to 
the Lac du Col, or du Cos, one of the 
Sept Laux (Rte. E). 

Rather more than 1 hr. above La 
Grande Maison, keeping to the rt. 
bank, the track reaches the chalets of 
Plan du Seuil close to the junction of 
the two streams, which make up the 
Olle. One of these descends from the 
S. through a wild glen called Combe de 
Bramand, containing a succession of 
small lakes, of which the highest lies at 
the base of one of the northern peaks 
of the Grandes Rousses. The other 
branch of the valley leads nearly due E. 
to the Col de la Croix de Fer, about 
6,500 feet in height, over which lies a 
path to St. Sorlin d'Arve and St. Jean 
de Maurienne. This way might be 
taken in preference to those described in 
the last route; but, though easy, it is 
very circuitous, and requires 14 or 15 
hours' walking from Bourg d'Oisans. 

The track to La Chambre quits that 
of the Croix de Fer about 5 min. 



beyond the Plan du Seuil, and, turn- 
ing to the N., mounts in ^ hr. to the 
Col du Glandon (about 6,500'), at the 
head of a lateral valley of the same 
name, which descends in a nearly straight 
line to the main valley of the Arc. By 
the route above described, the Col is 1 ^ 
hr. from La Grande Maison, and nearly 
9 hrs. from Bourg d'Oisans. The de- 
scent is at first rather rapid, and then 
more gentle, following the rt. bank 
of the torrent, and passing by many 
chalets in the midst of rich pastures. 
About 1^ hr. from the Col, the large 
village of St. Colomban des Villards is 
passed, and \ hr. farther the first 
of the scattered hamlets which make up 
the commune of St. Alban des Villards. 
The valley of the Arc is reached about 
1 mile above La Chambre (§ 7, Rte. 
A), 4 hrs. from the Col, and about 13 
hrs. from Bourg d'Oisans. 

A glance at the map will show that 
the valley of the Olle between Sables 
and the Col du Glandon describes a wide 
curve, and thereby involves a long de- 
tour. There is another much more di- 
rect but rather more laborious way, by 
Vaujany, which, however, is not easily 
found without a guide. 

In following the track above described 
from Sables to Allemont, the way toVau- 
jany leaves on the L hand the bridge 
of Perniere, and mounts along the E. 
side of the valley of the Olle to Oz, a 
small village, surmounted by the re- 
mains of an ancient stronghold, about 
1 hr. from Sables. Here, quitting 
the Combe d'Olle, the path follows 
the Flumet torrent, and in 40 min. 
reaches 

Vaujany (4,211'), the highest com- 
mune in the valley. To the E. a rocky 
gorge leads up to two small lakes which 
receive part of the drainage of the glaciers 
of the Grandes Rousses. The direct 
way to the Col de Glandon continues to 
mount along the rt. bank of the Flumet, 
passing on the 1. hand a track which 
passes over the Col du Sabot to the val- 
ley of the Olle. \ hr. above Vaujany 
the path crosses to the 1. bank, and 
about 20 min. higher up the Flumet 



70 



DAUPIIIXE ALPS. § 



8 OISAXS DISTRICT. 



is enlarged to a small lake ; the path 
again crosses the stream, and, bearing 
a little to the 1., mounts to the Col de 
Couard, \\ hr. above Yaujany. E. of 
the Col are seen the extensive glaciers 
of Cochette and the peak of the Grand 
Sauvage (11,395'), one of the higher 
summits of the Grandes Rousses. A 
descent of 40 min. along the rt. bank 
of the Cochette torrent leads to the 
Combe D'Olle, a short way above the 
Grande Maison, which is thus reached 
in 5j hrs. from Bourg d'Oisans, in- 
stead of nearly 7 J hrs., as by the way, 
firsjt described, through the Combe 
d'Olle. By the shorter way, La Chambre 
may be reached in 10§ hr&\ steady 
walking, exclusive of halts. 



Eoute E. 

BOURG D'OISANS TO ALLEVARD LES 

SEPT LAUX. 

17 hrs'. walk — 9 hrs. to the fisherman's hut — 
8 hrs. from thence to Allevard. 

This is an interesting excursion, 
though somewhat overrated by the 
writers of local guides. The distance 
is rather too great for one day's walk, 
even with the assistance of a char, which 
might be taken from Bourg d'Oisans to 
Sables, or from Allevard to Ferriere 
when the pass is taken in the opposite 
direction. Most persons will find it 
better to sleep at Ferriere, or at the 
fisherman's hut near the Lac du Cos. 
Mules may be taken as far as Rivier, 
or for about 4 J hours when mounting 
from Allevard. A guide is required for 
this route, 

The way from Bourg d'Oisans to the 
Sept Laux follows for about 5| hrs. 
the track through the Combe d'Olle 
(described in last Route) as far as 
Rivier (4,200'). From thence the 
ascent is rapid, towards the N., partly 
through stunted pines and over rough 



l debris, until it reaches the base of 
a narrow couloir which mounts very 
steeply amidst nearly vertical rocks. 
This, which is. called Cheminee du Dia- 
ble, is not very difficult to clamber up, 
but the descent is not easy, and in bad 
weather might be positively dangerous. 
After a laborious climb of about 3,000 ft. 
from Rivier, the track reaches the sum - 
mit of the Col de V Homme (7,144', 
Forbes ?), about 2f hrs. from Rivier, 
commanding a fine view in both direc- 
tions, but especially of the peaks and 
glaciers of the Graudes Rousses. On 
the rt. hand are seen two of the seven 
lakes whose outlet is towards the Olle. 

[A short distance before reaching 
the summit, a track turns off to the 
1., and in about f hr. attains an- 
other pass, called Col de la Coche, 
which leads, in 4^- hrs., by Laval, to 
Yillard Bonnot, on the high road from 
Grenoble to Montmeillan (§ 10). This 
is the shortest way from the Sept Laux 
to Grenoble ; but for persons going 
thither from the valley of the Olle there 
is a more direct path from Rivier to the 
Col de la Coche.] 

In less than 1 hr. from the Col the 
track reaches a cabane, inhabited during 
two or three months of summer by two 
fishermen. Food (occasionally meat) 
and wine, with tolerable night-quarters, 
may be had here by those who may wish 
to break the journey to Allevard or to 
ascend some of the neighbouring sum- 
mits. It is close to the Lac da Col 
(7,154'), one of the highest of the group 
of lakes which lie near together among 
the cluster of peaks which separate the 
Combe d'Olle from the sources of the 
Breda. The largest, which happen to 
lie near the track here described, are 
seven in number, two of them with an 
outfall to the S., and four others occu- 
pying successive steps in the descent 
from the Lac du Col towards the N. 
Several smaller lakes are near at hand. 
The scenery has more of wiidness than 
sublimity; but it affords an agreeable 
change for water-drinkers from Uriage 
or Allevard. 
[From the fisherman's hut it is easy to 



ROUTE E. LES SEPT LAUX. 



71 



ascend the Bocher Blanc (9,61 6'), also 
called Pic de la Pyramide, which com- 
mands a very extensive view of the 
Savoy and Dauphine Alps. The way 
passes by the Lac Blanc (7,5190, often 
frozen over, and ascends by a small 
glacier to the upper ridge of the moun- 
tain. Time from the hut — about 3^ hrs.] 
The descent towards the N. is very 
gentle for the first hour, until, after pass- 
ing the Lac Noir, the lowest of the Sept 
Laux, the slope becomes gradually more 
rapid and leads down to a pretty cascade. 
Lower down the path makes many zig- 
zags, and reaches a shelf in the valley 
where stands the Chalet du Gleyzin 
(5,249'), 3 hrs. from the Col, command- 
ing an extensive view to the N. There 
is a short cut from the Lac Noir to this 
chalet, but the way is often overflowed : 
before taking it local information must 
be sought at some of the upper chalets. 
Another steep descent is requisite to 
gain the next step in the valley, a wooded 
plateau, where the path crosses a stream 
and then follows a slope, where beeches 
appear among the pines and birches. 
The path here passes within a few mi- 
nutes' walk of the Cascade du Pissou, a 
fall of the Breda, which enjoys some 
local celebrity, and involves a very slight 
detour. 

[Close to the waterfall, towards the E., 
is the opening of the Combe de Madame, 
a glen through which a path on the 
rt. bank leads in 2 hrs. to the Col 
de la Croix (8,392'), and in 4 hrs. 
farther through the valley of the Glan- 
don to La Chambre (see Kte. D).] 

A short way lower down another glen 
opens on the 1. hand. [This is one of 
the most frequented routes from Gre- 
noble to the valley of the Breda, and the 
most agreeable, though not the shortest, 
way either from Allevard or the Sept 
Laux to that city. 2 hours suffice for 
the ascent from the Breda to the Col du 
Merdaret (6,036'), which commands as 
extensive a view as many more lofty 
points. If the shortest way be taken 
2 hours more will lead the traveller to 
Theys ; but there are several paths, 
some of them circuitous. Theys is said 



to have the finest position in the valley 
of Graisivaudan : it has an Inn (chez 
Coliquard) and a cafe (chez Flavin), 
where tourists from Grenoble are accus- 
tomed to find guides for the neighbour- 
ing mountains. The Pere Natal is 
recommended. Theys is 33 kil. or 20^- 
m. by carriage road from Grenoble, and 
5 miles from Tencin (§ 10, Hte. C), 
from whence an omnibus to Grenoble 
plies during the summer.] 

Following the track down the valley 
of the Breda, in about 1 \ hour from the 
Chalet du Gleyzin the traveller reaches 
the hamlet of Grand Thiervoz, passing 
the opening of the Combe de Valloire. 
[Through this lateral valley another 
pass leads to the valley of the Arc at La 
Chambre. To avoid the narrow gorge 
through which the torrent rushes to join 
the Breda, the path mounts the slope 
above the stream on the right bank, then 
crosses to the opposite side, and makes 
a detour to reach the farther side of a 
lateral ravine. In less than 1 hr. the 
path returns to the rt. bank at the 
Chalet de Valloire, and mounts easily 
to the upper end of the glen, occupied 
by three small lakes. From hence a 
steeper ascent leads to the Col de Val- 
loire (about 8,200') between two peaks, 
each exceeding 9,000'. This is reached 
in 2 hrs. 20 min. from Thiervoz. On 
the side of Savoy the track keeps to the 
1. bank of the torrent, and in 2j hrs. 
reaches St. Alban des Villards ; from 
thence to La Chambre 1^ hr. : in all 
6 hrs. 35 min. from Thiervoz.] 

About a mile below Thiervoz is the 
village of Ld Ferriere (Inn : chez Jour- 
dan, tolerable quarters, civil people), a 
frequent resort of tourists, who sleep 
here before starting for mountain expe- 
ditions. Guides, mules, and provisions 
are found here. The descent to Allevard 
is picturesque and agreeable, by a 
tolerably good mule -path, often under 
the shade of fine trees. 2 hrs. suffice 
for the descent, 2 hrs. 20 min. in 
ascending. Half-way is Finsot, at the 
junction of the Gleyzin torrent with the 
Breda, where the path crosses to the 
right bank of the united streams. From 



72 



DAUPHINE ALPS. § 8. OISANS DISTRICT. 



hence the ascent of the Gleyzin (9,275') 
is sometimes made. It is a laborious 
day's work from Allevard, and the view 
is not equal to that from the Pic du 
Frene. 1 hr. below Pinsot is Allevard. 
(See § 10.) 



Route F. 

ALLEVARD TO LA CHAMBRE — PIC DU 
FRENE. 

In the preceding Rte. two passes from 
the valley of the Breda to La Chambre 
have been incidentally described. By 
the first of these — the Combe de Ma- 
dame — the distance from Allevard is 
about 9j hrs\ walking ; by the Col de 
Yalloire about 8# hrs. will suffice. A 
more direct way is by the Col de Merlet, 
by which an active pedestrian will re- 
quire about 8 hrs. only ; in each case 
exclusive of halts. 

Leaving Allevard (§ 10) by a path 
which mounts above the iron works, the 
hamlet of Panissieres is reached in 40 
min. Beyond this the track follows 
the valley of the Veyton torrent, some- 
times close to the stream, sometimes at 
a height above it, till in 2\ hrs. it at- 
tains the Chalet de la Chevrette, where 
it is usual to halt for breakfast. From 
hence it is easy to reach the Petit 
Charnier (6,^69') in about 2 hrs., on 
the loftier peak of the Grand Charnier 
(8,4120 in 3J hrs. The latter com- 
mands an extensive view, but it is over- 
looked by its neighbour, the Pic du 
Frene. 

The path to the Col, soon after pass- 
ing the chalet, reaches the base of a 
long and steep slope, called Tirequoy, 
which is climbed by numerous zigzags^ 
This leads to a rocky hollow, or cirque, 
followed after another ascent by a second 
cirque, and this again by a third, still 
wilder and more desolate. £ hr. far- 
ther the last chalet is passed, and 
all trace of path disappears amid the 



loose rocks intermixed with patches 
of snow that lead up to Col de Merlet 
(7,527'), midway between the Grand 
Moretan (8,888') to the S., and the Pic 
du Frene (9,203') to the N. 

The descent lies at first down a huge 
pile of debris, below which stands the 
highest chalet on the Savoy side of the 
pass. Keeping to the N. side of the 
torrent two hollows forming successive 
steps in the descent are passed, and then 
the torrent is crossed to and fro three 
times, till, after passing the chalet of 
Vellechaud, the traveller finds himself 
on the verge of a precipitous slope, down 
which the stream plunges in a succession 
of rapids and waterfalls. The track 
keeps to the right, and winds down the 
side of the mountain until, in the valley 
below, it falls into a rough char-road. 
This will lead to Molard, the chief ham- 
let in the commune of St. Alban des 
Villards ; but there is a shorter way by 
a rough path following the bank of the 
torrent. Molard may be reached in lj 
hour from the Col, and it is about equally 
far from thence to La Chambre by the 
valley of the Glandon. (See Rte. D.) 

[Another pass, about 8,200 ft. in 
height, more difficult and rarely used, 
passes on the N. side of the Pic du 
Frene, and is called Pas du Frene or 
Col des Pierres. This is reached from 
Allevard by following up to its head the 
vallev of the Bens torrent, or Combe de 
St. Hugon (§ 10, Rte. D). In 4 hrs. 
from the Baths, this leads to a plateau 
surrounded by snow slopes, from whence 
a path to the right crosses by the Colde 
Bourbiere to the valley of the Veyton 
and the track of the Col de Merlet, 
while, by keeping to the left, an ascent 
of ^ hr. leads to the Pas du Frene. Below 
the pass on the side of Savoy is a small 
lake. From thence is apparently the 
only practicable way to reach the sum- 
mit of the peak, which commands one 
of the finest panoramas of this part of 
the Alpine chain. From the lake the 
ascent is up steep slopes of debris, until 
reaching the rocks which form the high- 
est ridge. The last part is difficult, 
especially the passage of a nearly ver- 



ROUTE A. — VALLEY OF THE VENEON. 



73 



tical couloir at more than 600 feet above 
its base. The peak was one of the sta- 
tions used in the measurement of the 
arc of the mean parallel.] 



SECTION 9. 

PELVOUX DISTRICT. 

As stated in the introduction to this 
chapter, the almost isolated group of 
high Alps, of which the Pelvoux bears 
the only well-known name, lies between 
the Durance, the Romanche, and the 
Drac, in an irregular triangle, whose 
sides are about 45 miles long. If the 
level of the sea were raised 5,000 feet, 
the entire district would form a single 
peninsula, connected with the Cottian 
Alps by a narrow neck of land which 
forms the Col de Lautaret. Nothing can 
be more irregular and complicated than 
the disposition of the ridges which go 
to make up this highland region ; and 
the direction and grouping of the valleys 
shows a similar absence of apparent or- 
der. The three ridges which include all 
the highest peaks, excepting the Mont 
Pelvoux, show indeed indications of a 
regular plan, for they form the sides of 
a quadrangle open to the W., and fol- 
lowing pretty closely the direction of 
the cardinal points. Farther S., again, 
the valleys show a general tendency to 
keep to the direction E. and W. ; but a 
number of lofty promontories, including 
peaks of 11,000 ft. and upwards, diverge 
in every direction, and between these, 
short and tortuous valleys bear down 
the drainage of the glacier fields which 
cover the upper level. The position of 
the principal peaks and passes will be 
made more clear by reference to the 
annexed map and the outline sketches 
in Routes A and B. The group offers 
abundant scope for the adventurous 
traveller, for many of the loftier peaks, 
including the two, perhaps the three, 
highest, are yet unascended ; and of 



] the Alpine valleys S. of the Vallouise 
scarcely any information has yet been 
published. 

The first ascent of the Mont Pelvoux 
was made by the Commandant Durand, 
with a party of Engineers under his 
command, who remained, in 1828, for 
two or three days on the upper plateau 
of the mountain. The next was by M. 
Puisieux, in 1848. 

The best, and almost the only toler- 
able inn in this district is that at 
Yenos ; but although there are new 
peaks to be scaled, and almost unknown 
glaciers to be explored, in the neighbour- 
hood of that village, it is inconveniently 
distant from the higher summits. A por- 
tion of the glaciers of the central group 
might be visited from Monestier in the 
valley of the Guisanne. (See § 8, 
Rte. A.) 

In regard to the position and names 
of the higher peaks, it would be im- 
possible to note in detail the numerous 
errors contained in all the published 
works relating to this district ; and it 
suffices to say that the map here given 
is based upon the results of the General 
Survey of France, with several additions 
and a few corrections by Mr. Tuckett. 



Route A. 

BOTJRGr D'OISANS TO LA BERARDE — 
VALLEY OF THE VENEON. 

Hours' English 

walking miles 

Venos 2f H| 

St. Christophe 2 6 

La Berarde ... 3 9 

7f 23i 

Although a good walker may accom- 
plish the distance in the time here indi- 
cated, exclusive of halts, the track is so 
rough that a horse or mule will take 
considerably more time. 

The highest ridges of the Dauphin e 
Alps form, as has been said, a quadrangle 



7-1 



DAUPIIIXE ALPS. § 9. PELVOUX DISTRICT. 



closed to the N., E., and S., but open to 
the W. All the streams that fall into 
the interior of this great enclosure unite 
in the bed of the Veneon, which flows 
at first W., and then NW., till it joins 
the Romanche, which drains the outer 
side of the northern ridge of the quad- 
rangle. It naturally follows, that the 
easiest way to reach the centre of this 
highland region is to follow the valley 
of the Veneon. 

The junction of this stream with the 
Romanche is very near to Bourg d'Oi- 
sans, on the high road from Grenoble 
to Brian9on, and little more than 30 
m. from the former city, whence it 
may be reached in 5 h hrs. by diligence 
or hired vehicle. (See § 8, Rte. A.) 
From the open valley about Bourg 
d'Oisans the course of the Veneon seems 
to be the natural prolongation of this 
part of the valley of the Romanche, 
the gorge through which that stream 
descends from La Grave being too nar- 
row to be perceived from a distance. 
The path to La Berarde leaves the high 
road at the Bourg, and follows the broad 
torrent of the Veneon across the plain 
for about 1 hr., until the high walls of 
limestone rock on either hand show that 
the traveller has entered the valley 
through which it bears down the drainage 
of more than twenty glaciers. Keeping 
to the 1. bank of the stream amid scat- 
tered blocks, the track reaches Pont Es- 
cofier, where the scenery increases in 
grandeur Looking back, the plain of 
Oisans is seen enclosed by mural pre- 
cipices, and backed by the bold crags of 
the Belledonne. In front are two savage 
valleys. That seen to the rt., the Val- 
lon de Louitel, enclosed by a precipi- 
tous range, whose highest point is the 
Clupier da Peyron (10,407'), leads by 
the Lac de Lovitel to a difficult pass 
to Valsenestre (Rte. M). To the L is 
the valley of the Veneon, backed by a 
snowy peak, and in the middle distance is 
the only green patch amid the rugged 
rocks which make up the prevailing 
character of the scenery. This marks 
the site of the village of Venos (Inn : 
chez Paquet, excellent for Dauphine, 



| and would be thought tolerable else- 
where), standing on a slope above the 
valley. The luxuriant vegetation is 

I due to the presence of a shaly lime- 

| stone. A tongue of this formation ex- 
tends from the valley of the Romanche 
and traverses that of the Veneon, as 
though lying in a trough amidst the 
surrounding crystalline rocks. Two 
passes connect Venos with the adjoining 
valleys to the N. and S., and both lie 
in great part over these anomalous de- 
posits. That to the N., called Col de 
Venos, and commanding a magnificent 

I view, leads to Freney in about 3 hrs. 
In the opposite direction the Col de la 

1 MuzeJle (about 8,200') leads in 3^ hrs. 

j to Valsenestre, and in f hr. more 
to La Chapelle in Val Jouffrey. (See 

i Rte. M.) 

I Above Venos there is no exit from 
the main valley over the lofty ridges 
which enclose it for about 35 m. save 
by high and difficult glacier passes. 
There is perhaps no other valley in the 
Alps, unless it be that of St. Nicholas, 
so completely shut in as this. On. 
leaving Venos the path descends to 
the river, crosses to the rt. bank, and 
enters a gorge unsurpassed for rugged- 
ness and desolation. Some overhang- 
ing peak must have fallen and left 
| here its shattered fragments as a 
memorial of the catastrophe. One husre 
j slab has fallen across the stream which 
is traversed by this natural bridge. A 
little farther the track ascends the slope 
of the mountain on the rt. bank of the 
torrent to avoid the narrow cleft through 
which this forces its way, and then, 
after passing opposite the picturesque 
opening of the Vallon de CEnchatra, de- 
scends to the level of the stream. After 
crossing the Torrent du Diable, which 
drains the Glacier de la Selle (Rte. I), 
another rather steep ascent leads to the 
village of St. Christophe (4.823') (Inn 
I beside the church, without a sign, poor, 
I no meat, but a bed-room under a separate 
| roof is less dirty than usual). The 
j slopes above the village command fine 
views of the snowy peaks which sepa- 
i rate the upper valley of the Veneon 



ROUTE A. — VALLEY OF THE VENEON. 



75 




from the Vallon de la Muande, leading 
by the rarely used glacier pass called 
Col de la Muande (10,036') to the Val 
Godemar. On the way up the valley 
to La Berarde the track leading to the 
last-named Col is seen to cross the Ve- 
neon about 1 hr. above St. Christophe, 
and the main valley then turns due E. 
Before long the great range of snow- 
seamed peaks that bars the head of the 
valley begins to appear, and at the 
poor hamlet of Les Etages the Pointe 
des Ecrins, the highest summit of the 
entire group, flanked by attendant 
aiguilles only less bold than those of 
the valley of Chamouni, comes fully 
into view. The above outline sketch 
gives an accurate representation of the 
position and names of the principal 
objects seen from the slopes above Les 
Etages. 

About J hr. farther is the last hamlet 
in the valley, La Berarde (5,7 02') where 
very wretched accommodation, may be 
had at the house of the two Rodiers, of 
whom the elder acted as guide to 
Professor Forbes, but is now past active 
work. His son is a good mountaineer, 



and pretty well acquainted with the 
neighbouring glacier passes, but many 
complaints have been made of unrea- 
sonable demands, and of unfair means 
to extract additional francs from the 
pockets of the few strangers who have 
occasion for his services. Perhaps it is 
unreasonable to complain of such a 
natural result of monopoly. It does 
not appear that the high pay which he 
receives (45 fr. for any of the glacier 
passes) has been applied to make his 
house more attractive to travellers. 

The position of La Berarde bears a 
remarkable similarity to that of En- 
treves above Courmayeur. Here, as in 
the Allee Blanche on the S. side of 
Mont Blanc, two torrents flowing in 
opposite directions along the base of a 
great snowy range, receive the drainage 
of the glaciers that descend through 
short lateral valleys, and meet at a 
central point, from whence they escape 
through a channel at right angles to 
their previous course, in the form of a 
T. 

The passes leading from La Berarde 
are described in Rtes. C, D, E, and F, 




so far as materials have been available. 
No precise information has been ob- 
tained respecting another very rarely- 
used pass, the Col des Cavales, by which 
La Grave en Oisans may be reached in 
one day from La Berarde. The ascent 
on the W. side is by very steep rocks 
above the Vallon des Etancons, the 
northern of the two glens which meet 
at La Berarde, and after passing a con- 
siderable extent of glacier it descends 
at or near to the Chalets de l'Alpe. 
(See Rte. G.) 

Among the many rare plants seen in 
this district, the botanist will not fail 
to notice Berardia subacaulis. 



Route B. 

GUILESTRE TO VALLOU1SE — ASCENT OP 
THE MONT PELVOUX. 

La Berarde has been described in the 
last route as the most central place for 
excursions among the higher peaks of 
the Pelvoux group, but the Mont Pel- 
voux itself is not accessible, nor even 
visible, from La Berarde or any point 
in its vicinity. To approach that peak 
or the great glaciers which encompass 
it, the only convenient access is by the 
valley of the Girondc torrent, which joins 
the Durance at La Bessee on the high 
road from Mont Dauphin to Briancon. 
This is also the natural course for tra- 
vellers approaching the Pelvoux dis- 
trict from the side of Italy. The best 
general view of the high peaks sur- 
rounding the Mont Pelvoux from the 
neighbourhood of Guilestre, but the 
second peak — La Meije — is concealed 
by the Pelvoux. The above outline 
will assist future explorers. 



KOUTE B. ASCENT OF THE MONT PELVOUX. 



77 



The Yallouise is easily reached from 
Guilestre, (§ 4, Rte. A), by way of Mont 
Dauphin and La Bessee. The inn- 
keeper asks 10 fr. for a carriage with 
one horse to the latter place, and 18 fr. 
to Yille Yallouise. The high road to 
Briancon is very well kept, but the 
char-road through the Yallouise is very 
rough, and little time is saved by taking 
a vehicle. 

La Bessee (Inn: filthy and extor- 
tionate), a poor village about half-way 
(2^ hrs. in a carriage, 3 J hrs. walk- 
ing), between Guilestre and Briancon, 
close to the junction of the Gironde 
with the Durance. Here dwells Jean 
Keynaud, who accompanied Messrs. 
Whymper and Macdonald in their 
ascent of the Pelvoux, and likewise 
Jean Giraud, of whose qualities as a 
mountaineer Mr. Whymper gives a 
good account. A tolerable char-road 
ascends the valley as far as the princi- 
pal village of Vallouise, called for dis- 
tinction La Yille de Yallouise, where, 
close to the bridge, there is a rough 
inn, but tolerable for Dauphine, chez 
Giraud. Distance from La Bessee 1^ 
hr. good walking. At La Yille the 
main branch of the torrent, called the 
Gyr, is joined by the Onde, a glacier 
stream which descends through the 
Vallon d'Entraigues from the Col de 
Celar (Bte. F), the united stream being 
called Gironde. 

After crossing the river at La Yille, 
the road up the Yallouise follows the 
1. bank as far as the village of Claux, 
where the path to the Col de l'Echauda 
(Rte. H) turns on° to the right. Above 
Claux two paths ascend the main valley, 
but that usually followed crosses the 
river and ascends by the rt. bank. 
* The valley here loses its pastoral cha- 
racter, and becomes wilder and more 
Alpine. The path winds among huge 
lichen-stained blocks, beneath the shade 
of scattered larches, and past rounded 
domes of rock scored and chiselled by 
ancient glaciers, while in a deep ravine 
on the rt. roars the torrent which bears 
down the united drainage of the E. and 
S. flanks of the Pelvoux. '— [W. M.] 



Ailefroide, If hr. from Yallouise, con- 
sists of a few filthy chalets in the midst 
of a little triangular plain, where pota- 
toes, oats, &c, are still cultivated. The 
mass of the Mont Pelvoux is a very 
grand object throughout the ascent 
from Claux. 

Two rugged valleys meet at this 
point, bringing into a single stream the 
drainage of the opposite sides of the 
Mont Pelvoux. Flowing from the W. 
the Selseniere or Sapeniere torrent re- 
ceives the glacier streams from the S. 
and SW. sides of the mountain, as 
well as the drainage of the glacier of 
Sele, at the head of the valley ; while 
the Torrent de St. Pierre, descending 
along the E. base, bears the united 
streams from the Glacier Noir and the 
Glacier Blanc, the former of which 
wraps itself round the highest peaks on 
their N. and NW. sides. It would ap- 
pear that the only practicable route to 
the summit is by the S. face, and there- 
fore by the valley of Sapeniere. This 
is a barren and dreary glen, the fitting 
scene of a horrible tradition which re- 
counts that, during the Yaudois per- 
secutions, the population of Yallouise 
took refuge in a cavern called La Balme 
Chapelu, where they were all destroyed 
by the same process that was applied to 
certain Arab tribes in Algeria by the 
present Governor of that colony. The 
accounts are not very consistent in re- 
gard to dates and other details, but have 
probably some foundation in fact. Most 
of those who have attempted the ascent 
have passed the preceding night at a spot 
called Soureillan (7,312'), also called 
Cabane des Bergers de Provence, where 
shelter is found under huge blocks of 
stone, and wood is plentiful. Mr. 
Tuckett states that there is a shorter 
way to reach this halting-place from 
Ailefroide than that usually taken by 
the Combe de Sapeniere, but in either 
case the distance appears to be about 
2 hrs. walk. In each of the two suc- 
cessful attempts to reach the highest 
point the travellers bivouacked in an 
exposed position, considerably higher 
than Soureillan j but this appears to be 



78 



DAUPIIINE ALPS. § 9. PELVOUX DISTRICT. 



quite unnecessary. Ascending for 2 
hrs. from Soureillan, a small glacier 
called Clot de PHomme is met. This 
narrow ice -stream is the outflow of the 
snow-fields that cover the highest pla- 
teau of the mountain. The earlier ex- 
plorers seem without exception to have 
crossed this glacier, and then to have 
climbed the steep buttresses of rock that 
are piled tier over tier above it on the 
western side. This too was the course 
taken by Messrs. Whymper and Mac- 
donald, who with their guides reached the 
highest peak in 1861 f but Mr. Tuckett, 
who made the ascent in the following 
year, with Michel Croz of Chamouni and 
Peter Perm of Zermatt, discovered a 
practicable couloir on the E. side of 
the glacier, by which he ascended direct 
without touching the glacier till within 
500 or 600 ft. of the upper snow-field. 
This course must greatly facilitate the 
ascent ; as it would appear from Mr. 
Whymper's account in the Second Series 
of ' Peaks, Passes, and Glaciers,' that 
his party employed about 8 hrs. in 
climbing the same height, which by the 
new route Mr. Tuckett accomplished in 
3^ hrs. The latter gentleman en- 
countered no serious obstacle except at 
one point, shortly before gaining the 
upper plateau. Having overcome this 
difficulty | hr. sufficed to reach the 
highest summit. The Mont Pelvoux 
has somewhat the form of a flattened 
basin, with the edges irregularly chip- 
ped, and with one side quite broken 
away, supported upon a conical pedes- 
tal of rock, everywhere very steep and 
in most places um rly inaccessible. It 
fortunately happens that the rocky pe- 
destal is least steep at the point which 
leads up to the breach in the upper 
basin. Three principal peaks may be 
distinguished. The highest, from the 
mean of several observations, Mr. 
Tuckett has estimated at 12,973 ft. 
The second and middle peak is marked 
by a signal, or cairn of stones, still stand- 
ing, erected in 1828 by M. Durand. 
From Mr. Tuckett's observations this 
is but 47 ft. lower than the first. The 
third and most easterly peak, the 



nearest to Ailcfroide, is but 12,343 ft. in 
height. Mr. Tuckett remained nearly 
4 hrs. on the summit, engaged in taking 
with a theodolite the azimuths and 
zenith distances of the principal summits 
of the Dauphine Alps, as well as many 
other more distant peaks. Of the lirst 
at least two surpass the Pelvoux in 
height. The highest of all, as is now 
certainly ascertained, is the Pointe des 
Ecrins, or Pic des Arcines (13,462'), 
seen to the NW. about 2^ m. distant, 
and separated from the Pelvoux by the 
wide upper ba<in of the Glacier Xoir. 
Farther to the X., and fully three times 
as distant, is the Meije, or Aiguille du 
Midi de la Grave (13,0S1'), the highest 
of a group of pinnacles, several of 
which approach the same height. There 
remains a third summit, lying WSW. 
from the Pelvoux, and called by the 
French engineers Pic d' 'Ailefroide. This 
is the peak seen on the extreme L of 
the outline sketch from Guilestre, 
whose grand western face is sketched 
at p. 209 of Vol. EL of the Second Series 
of ' Peaks, Passes, and Glaciers.' From 
the triangulation of the French engi- 
neers, it would appear to be 90 ft. lower 
than the Pelvoux ; but Mr. Tuckett 
found it to be a little above the level of 
the latter, and between points so near 
together an error is scarcely possible. 
For the present it must remain doubt- 
ful whether this should rank as third or 
fourth among the peaks of the Dau- 
phine Alps. 

2 hrs. are sufficient for the descent 
from the summit to the base of the 
couloir, and from thence Ailefroide may 
be reached in 3 hrs., or even less ; so 
that it is quite possible to return to Ville 
Vallouise on the same day. 

Unless the route discovered by Mr. 
Tuckett should be found impracticable 
hereafter, owing to changes in the upper 
glacier, it would appear that the ascent 
of the Pelvoux presents no unusual 
difficulties. The excursion is interest- 
ing, not only because it introduces the 
traveller to one of the least-known 
portions of the Alps, but because of 
the extent, novelty, and grandeur of 



ROUTE C. COL DES ECRIXS. 



79 



the more distant panorama. It appears 
probable that the Mediterranean is not 
under any circumstances visible from this 
or the neighbouring peaks. 



Route C. 

LA BERARDE TO VALLOU1SE BY COL 
DES ECRINS. POINTE DES ECRINS. 

This is an expedition of the highest 
interest, traversing the very centre of 
the Dauphine Oberland, and passing 
close to the base of its highest peak. 
The pass was first made by Mr. Tuckett 
on July 12, 1862, from the side of Val- 
louise, and he estimates the distance at 
not more than 10 hrs. of actual walk- 
ing ; but it might often require a longer 
time. It may, in some respects, be 
compared to the Strahleck. The extent 
of glacier to be traversed is not so 
great, but in some states of the snow 
the couloir on the W. side of the Col 
would present more serious difficulties 
than any encountered on the Bernese 
pass. 

The outline sketch in Rte A. shows 
the exact position of the Col, at the 
lowest point in the ridge connecting 
the Pointe des Ecrins with the Roche 
Faurio (12,192'). 

On leaving La Berarde the course is 
at first to the N., through the Vallon 
des Etancons, but in less than a mile 
from the village the stream from the 
Glacier de la Bonne Pierre is crossed, 
and then the ascent commences. The 
lower part of the glacier is steep and 
much crevassed, so that it is necessary 
to follow the moraine of the rt. bank 
over steep debris and loose blocks, a 
description of path which few persons 
find agreeable. After achieving a great 
part of the ascent in this manner, the 
slope of the glacier becomes more 
gentle, and there is no difficulty in fol- 
lowing it up to the base of the snow 



couloir which descends from the Col. 
This is more than 1,300 ft. in vertical 
height, and of extreme steepness. Like 
all similar slopes, its condition is con- 
stantly varying according to the state 
of the snow. It should not be at- 
tempted at too early an hour, nor after 
fresh snow. Mr. Tuckett took 2| hrs. 
for the descent from the Col to La Be- 
rarde, but probably 4j or 5 hrs. should 
be allowed for the ascent. By the mean 
of several observations, the height of 
the Col is 1 1,071 ft., about 5,370 ft. above 
La Berarde. The pinnacles and preci- 
pices of the Pointe des Ecrins, espe- 
cially when seen from the upper part of 
the Glacier de la Bonne Pierre, present 
a scene of the grandest character. The 
Col leads at once to the snow-field 
which forms the upper plateau of the 
Glacier Blanc, from whence rises di- 
rectly the Pointe des Ecrins. 

This mountain, called also the Pic or 
Barre des Ecrins, the Pic des Arcines, 
and the Montagne d'Oursine, is the cul- 
minating point of the Dauphine Alps. 
It was formerly confused with the 
Pelvoux, but its true geographical rela- 
tions have now been determined by the 
engineers of the French Etat-major, 
and made known to English travellers 
through the labours of Mr. Tuckett. It 
is divided from the chain of the Pelvoux 
by the profound gorge which is oc- 
cupied by the Glacier Noir, and is built 
up by the union of three ridges. The 
fir^t of these, or Crete de VEncula, ex- 
tends from the summit in a north-easterly 
direction, and divides the upper snow 
basin of the Glacier Blanc (called by 
the French engineers the Glacier de 
l'Encula) from the Glacier Noir. The 
two other ridges run due N. and S., and 
separate the above-named glaciers from 
the head of the valley of La Berarde, 
their lowest points being at the Col des 
Ecrins and the Col de la Tempe re- 
spectively. On the sides of the Glacier 
Noir and of La Berarde, the faces of 
the mountain are extremely precipitous 
and quite iuac essible, but on that of the 
Glacier Blanc the slope is somewhat less 
steep, and, although laden with masses 



80 



DAUPHINE ALPS. § 9. PELVOUX DISTRICT. 



of threatening seracs, will probably give 
access to the summit. In descending from 
the Col about 1 hr. suffices to reach the 
point where it is necessary to quit the 
glacier and continue the descent on the 
1. bank over steep slopes of debris alter- 
nating with snow and rock, in order to 
avoid the ice-fall between the upper 
plateau and the lower level of the Gla- 
cier Blanc. At the base of this slope, a 
few hundred feet from the glacier and 
hard by a spring of fresh water, is an I 
overhanging rock, which has been j 
turned to good account for a bivouac I 
by Messrs. Tuckett and Mathews. Ju- 
niper bushes are not far off, which are 
available for fuel. The glacier, which 
now descends towards the SE.. may 
here be crossed from the 1. to the rt. 
bank, and this is easily effected in i 
20 min. The lower part of the Glacier | 
Blanc is quite impracticable, and the 
descent continues over the rocky pro- 
montory at the base of the Crete 
de PEncula. Eocks, steep but nor 
difficult, and equally steep slopes of 
turf, lead down to the great moraine 
of the Glacier Koir. "When this is 
passed, the traveller finds himself in a 
rock-strewn plain, nearly 1^ m. long, 
torn by glacier torrents, called Pre' de 
Madame Carle. When the glacier tor- 
rents are full, it is a matter of some 
difficulty to cross them in order to reach 
the 1. bank. At its lower extremity this 
plain is barred by a huge mound (an- 
cient moraine ?) which must be sur- 
mounted, and then a descent of 1 hr. 
along the 1. bank leads to the chalets of 
Ailefroide, which are reached by cross- 
ing the torrent of St. Pierre. If hr. 
leads from thence to Ville Vallouise 
(see Rte. A). Including the time lost 
in crossing the torrents, not less than 
3^ hrs. should be allowed from the foot 
ot the glacier to La Ville. 

There is some advantage in taking 
this pass from LaBcrarde; the Ecrins 
remains more constantly in view; the 
ascent of the couloir on the W. of the 
Col would generally be preferred to the 
descent; and if found impracticable, it 
would be more convenient to return on 



that side. On the other hand, the de- 
scent of the steep rocks above the lower 
ice-fall of the Glacier Blanc might give 
some trouble to a stranger, and it would 
be prudent to allow ample time, so as 
to avoid being benighted in some incon- 
venient position. 

Mr. Tuckett was twice prevented by 
unfavourable weather from undertaking 
the ascent of the Pcinte des Ecrins. The 
first attempt was made on 26th Au^., 
1862, by Messrs. W. Mathews and 
Bonney, whose more successful achieve- 
ments in other parts of the western Alps 
are frequently referred to in this volume. 

Having bivouacked under the rock 
above mentioned, which is about 8,420 
ft. above the sea, they started with 
J. B. and Michel Croz of Chamouni, 
ascending first along the 1. bank, and 
then crossing the glacier to the base of 
the peak, about on a level with the Col 
des Ecrins. This was reached in 2\ hrs. 
After climbing laboriously through soft 
snow for two hours, they attained the 
edge of a wide bergschrund which severs 
the snow slopes from the final peak. 
12.936 ft. in height. The way to the 
summit, which lies 52c ft. higher, must 
be along the arete; but the snow was in 
too dangerous a condition to allow of 
the attempt being pushed further. The 
party accordingly retraced their steps, 
and crossed the Col du Glacier Blanc 
(Rte. G) to La Grave. The Ecrins has 
two distinct summits — the lower one, 
lying to N.W., 13,058 ft. in height; the 
other and principal peak, an irregular 
triangular pyramid with a double point. 
The higher of these (13,462') is seen to 
the 1. from the Glacier Blanc, and the 
other point (13,396') appears to be no 
more than a projection from the northern 
arete. 



ROUTE D. COL DE LA TEMPE. 



Route D. 

LA BERARDE TO VALLOUISE, BY THE 
COL DE LA TEMPE. 

This pass is said to have been dis- 
covered by the younger Rodier. of La 
Berarde (see Rte. A). It has been 
rarely traversed, and the only account 
of it in any English work is by Mr. 
Nichols, in the Second Series of 4 Peaks, 
Passes, and Glaciers/ 

As already stated, the main branch 
of the Veneon flows from the S. to La 
Berarde, and there meeting the stream 
from the Vallon des Etancons, the 
united torrents turn to the E. through 
the valley of St. Christophe (Rte. A). 
The way to the Col de la Tempe lies 
along the S. branch, on the rt. bank of the 
stream. About 1 hr. from La Berarde 
the valley of Clochatel opens on the 
SW., and leads up to the Glacier de 
Chardon, also called Baverja, over which 
there is a pass into the Val Godemar 
(see Rte. F). Soon after passing this 
point and crossing a mass of detritus 
borne down by glacier torrents, the 
ascent commences up the steep side of 
a lateral valley that opens to the E., 
and leads up to the ridge connecting 
the Pointe des Ecrins with the Pic 
d'Ailefroide. In 2 hrs. from La Be- 
rarde the base of the first recks is at- 
tained. It is necessary to climb for 
nearly J hr. along a steep face of 
rock, and then to mount for 40 min. 
along the moraine, before reaching the 
Glacier de la Tempe. This is sufficiently 
steep and crevassed to require the usual 
companions of glacier travel — the rope 
and ice-axe; but there is no serious 
difficulty in the ascent, and in about 5j 
hrs. the summit of the Col is attained. 
This is a ridge of crumbling slate- rocks, 
probably about 11,000 ft. in height. 
S. of the Col is an eminence in the 
ridge, and beyond this a square gap, 
which Mr. Nichols reckons to be 500 ft. 
lower than the Col, but impracticable as 
a pass in consequence of the precipitous 
descent on the E. side. Save some of 
the Cottian Alps in the direction of 



81 



Mont Cenis, the view is limited to the 
surrounding peaks; but these present a 
variety and grand and fantastic forms. 

The descent commences by some 
steep and rather difficult rocks to the 
rt., and then down a couloir, where 
large loose blocks in unstable equili- 
brium require to be passed with great 
caution. Nearly an hour is required 
before reaching the upper plateau of the 
Glacier Noir, just under the gap in the 
ridge above described. The upper 
basin of » the glacier occupies a large 
part of the space between the peaks of 
the Ecrins, Pelvoux, and Ailefroide, and 
its outlet is by a comparatively narrow 
ice-fall, passing at first E. and then SE. 
round the base of the Pelvoux. The 
N. side of this mountain, seen from the 
upper level of the glacier, is a very 
remarkable object. Between it and the 
Ailefroide is a gap, over which Mr. 
Tuckett thinks it may be possible to 
cross to the Glacier du Sele ; but this 
has not yet been ejected. 

After crossing the upper plateau it 
becomes necessary to take to the rocks 
on the 1. bank, and then to slopes of 
debris, returning to the glacier at a 
point where it receives a tributary 
glacier from the N. This is traversed, 
and the remainder of the descent lies 
over the lateral moraine until it attains 
the junction between the Glacier Noir 
and the Glacier Blanc, at the same 
point as in the last route. 3 J hrs, are 
consumed in the descent from the Col 
to this point, and 3j hrs. more from 
hence to Ville Vallouise. (See Rte. C.) 



Route E. 
la berarde to vallouise, by the col 

DU SELE. 

Although little less than 11,000 ft. in 
height, this is the easiest and most 
direct route from the W. to the E. 



82 



DAUPHIN E ALPS. § 9. PELVOUX DISTRICT. 



side of the Pelvoux group. It appears 
to have been formerly known to some 
of the native chasseurs; but the only 
certain information about it has been 
derived from Mr. Tuckctt, who, with 
his two guides, also strangers to the 
district, has done more than any pre- 
ceding traveller, native or foreign, to 
make known the high glacier passes of 
Dauphine. 

As in the Rte. to the last-described 
pass, on leaving La Berarde the S. 
branch of the Veneon torrent is fol- 
lowed along its rt. bank, past the 
junction of the Vallon de Clochatel 
(1 hr.) to its source at the foot of the 
Glacier de la Pilatte, or Condamine of 
Bourcet's map. After mounting for a 
short distance by the moraine of the rt. 
bank, the glacier may be followed for 
•J hr. until it approaches the point where 
its two principal branches meet. The 
W. branch, from the Col de Sais, and 
the S. branch, from the Crete des Boeufs 
Rouges (1 U>78'), descend in two ice- 
falls, which meet at the base of the 
Mont Giouberny. To reach the Col du 
Sele it is necessary to mount the steep 
slopes of debris and snow on the W. 
side of the S. branch. On gaining the 
upper plateau of the glacier, the course 
sweeps round the head of the glacier, 
aiming at a point nearly due E., where 
steep snow-slopes lead up to a ridge of 
rocks connected with the Pic d'Aile- 
froide, which from this side is a magni- 
ficent object. 2 hrs. suffice for the 
ascent from the foot of the glacier to the 
base of these slopes, and 1 hr. for the 
ascent from thence in zigzags up the 
snow, and then over the rocks to the 
Col. By Mr. Tuckett's observations, 
this is 10,834 ft. in height. A few 
hundred feet E. of the Col the traveller 
gains a magnificent view, especially of 
the Ailefroide and Pelvoux. Of the 
first, which is perhaps a few feet 
higher than the Pelvoux, Mr. Tuckett 
remarks : — 1 Erom the direction of 
the Glacier du Sele, I do not think 
the ascent of the Ailefroide would 
be impossible; but it might present 
considerable difficulties, as the fine 



glaciers descending from it are re- 
markably precipitous and fearfully cre- 
vassed.' Between the Ailefroide and 
the Pelvoux is a very grand tooth or 
aiguille of bare rock, only about 130 ft. 
lower than the last-named peak : it 
appears to remain as yet unnamed. 

Like the Col des Ecrins, the Col du 
Sele is extremely steep on the W. side, 
while in the opposite direction it is level 
with the upper plateau of the Glacier du 
Sele — called Seleon in patois. There 
is no difficulty in following the upper 
part of the glacier, bearing somewhat 
to the rt., until the increasing width of 
the crevasses makes it necessary to 
cross to the 1. hand moraine, J hr. or 1 
hr. from the top. The descent is at first 
by rocks, on which Mr. Tuckett found 
some traces of a path (chamois track?), 
and then down a huge pile of rough 
I debris, leading in f hr. to the Combe de 
I Sapeniere, a little below the foot of the 
I glacier. Erom thence the chalets of 
| Ailefroide may be reached in \\ hr., and 
l Vallouise in if hr. farther ; the whole 
distance being accomplished in from 9 
to 9j hrs.' steady walking, exclusive of 
halts. 



Route F. 

LA BERARDE TO VALLOUISE, BY THE 

VAL GODEMAR COL DE SAIS — COL 

DU CELAR. 

This route requires two days, and in- 
volves the passage of two glacier Cols — 
neither of them, it is true, so high as 
those described in the preceding routes; 
but, except in settled weather, it is not 
to be recommended, as the traveller 
would risk a disagreeable detention in 
the Yal Godemar, or else a very long 
circuit by the valley of the Drac. 

The Cols hitherto described all lie 
across the eastern side of the great 
quadrangle which encloses the basin of 



ROUTE G. COL DU GLACIER BLANC. 



83 



the Veneon. The Col de Sais, on the 
contrary, crosses the S. wall of that en- 
closure and leads into the Val Godemar, 
one of the tributary valleys of the prac. 
It must be observed that besides the 
pass here described, there is another on 
the W. side of the Tete de Cheret — 
the Col de Sais of the French engineers. 
This is reached from La Berarde by 
the Vallon de Clochdtel and the E. arm 
of the Glacier de Chardon. It is 10,168 
ft. in height. To avoid confusion, we 
shall call this provisionally Col de 
Chardon. 

The way to the true Col de Sais fol- 
lows the course described in the last Rte. 
as far as the Glacier de la Pilatte, where, 
as already mentioned, two principal 
affluents descend in ice-cataracts from 
either side of the Mont Giouberny. To 
avoid the western ice- fall, which de- 
scends from the Col de Sais, it is neces- 
sary to bear away to the rt. and mount 
the steep slopes of the Tete de Cheret, 
on the L bank of the glacier. After 
a considerable ascent over crystalline 
rocks overlaid by slate, the traveller 
will find himself on a level with the 
upper and less precipitous slope of the 
glacier, which leads up in a direction 
somewhat W. of S. to the summit of 
the Col, about 4% hrs. from La Berarde, 
10,224 ft. in height (Forbes), or 10,289 
ft. (French engineers) 

The most striking object in view 
from the Col is the Pic d'Ailefroide, 
whose W. side is a massive pinnacle of 
inaccessible rock, too steep to give 
lodgement to snow. Nearer to the 
Col, and about 700' higher, is the Mont 
Giouberny. According to Mr. Bonney, 
the snow-ridge leading up to it pre- 
sents no apparent difficulty. 

The descent into the Val Godemar, 
over partially disintegrated talcose rocks, 
is extremely steep, and might even be 
dangerous in bad weather. It is also 
much longer than the ascent on the N. 
side. About 3 hrs. are required for the 
descent to Clot, the highest hamlet in 
Val Godemar; but if the traveller 
should not be independent of local 
supplies, it will be necessary to de- 

G 



sccnd to the village of La Ckapelle, 
nearly 2 hrs/ walk down the valley. 
Professor Forbes was well received here 
by the cure. 

To reach Vallouise from La Chapelle 
it is necessary to return to Clot, a dis- 
tance of 2 hrs. The ascent from thence 
to the Col du Celar, or Sellar, lies for a 
long way over rough moraine, and for 
the last hour over glacier. Meeting a 
good deal of fresh snow, Professor 
Forbes took 3j hrs. in the ascent from 
Clot to the Col, a mere ridge of shat- 
tered granite, 10,092 ft. in height. Tl e 
descent on the E. side over precipitous 
granitic rocks seamed with veins of 
green felspar is difficult, and not to be 
attempted in bad weather. The Pic Bon- 
voisin, also called Garroux (11,503'), on 
the S. side of the Col, is an imposing 
object. The first chalets are met at En- 
traigues, and from thence to Vallouite 
is a walk of 2 hrs. 



Route G. 

VALLOUISE TO LA GRAVE EN 01 SANS — 
COL DU GLACIER BLANC. 

A glacier pass of the grandest cha- 
racter, discovered by Mr. Tuckett, July 
16, 1862. The possible difficulties on 
the N. side are so serious, that it should 
be attempted only by thoroughly prac-. 
tised mountaineers, and none but first-, 
rate men should be taken as guides. 
Mr. Tuckett counts 1 hrs. 40 min. of fast 
walking from Ville Vallouise ; but it is 
far more advisable to pass the night at 
Ailefroide, or even at the much higher 
station near the Glacier Blanc, where he 
bivouacked with his guides. 

The S. side of the pass is reached by 
the same course as that taken between 
Vallouise and the Col des Ecrins, so far 
as the steep ascent from the middle to the 
upper plateau of the Glacier Blanc (see. 
Rte. C). The overhanging rock where 
2 



84 



DAUPHIXE ALPS. § 



9. PELVOUX DISTRICT. 



Mr. Tuckett slept may be reached in 5^ 
hrs. from Ville Vallouise. From thence 
also the ascent for J hr. is the same as 
if the object were to reach the upper 
plateau of the Glacier Blanc, but when 
about 5 hr. from the plateau, it is neces- 
sary to turn to the N. and ascend by a 
rather steep Literal glacier, which leads 
in J hr. to the Col. By a mean between 
the measurements of Messrs. Tuckett and 
Mathews, this is 10,811 ft.in height, lying 
between the Pic de Neige ( 1 1,S 6 1') on the 
E. and a summit marked on the French 
map, Pic Signale, ( 12,0080, lying at an 
equal distance to the W. The view r to the 
S. and SW. includes the peaks of Ecrins, 
Ailefroide, and Pelvoux, and their gla- 
ciers, but that on the N. side is still 
more striking. The Glacier d'Arsine is 
seen at a prodigious depth below, and 
separated from the Col by precipices of 
formidable steepness. Mr. Tuckett was 
fortunate enough to hit upon the precise 
point from whence alone the descent 
seems possible, though far from easy. 
The rocks there project in the form of a 
very steep buttress, and are in highly 
shattered condition, so that the utmost 
care is needed to avoid detaching loose 
blocks, which would endanger the tra- 
veller himself or his companions. At 
the base of the cliffs a slope of neve 
leads down to the glacier, which may 
be reached in 1^ hr. lrom the Col. The 
descent on the glacier d'Arsine presents 
no difficulty, and, keeping somewhat to 
the L, 20 min. suffice to reach the W. 
moraine, which is developed on a great 
scale, exhibiting three parallel ridges 
corresponding to former variations in 
the size of the glacier. 

The Glacier d'Arsine exhibits the un- 
usual phenomenon of a double outlet, 
sending down one torrent to the NE., 
which joins the Guisanne a little above 
Monestier, while on the NW. it is the 
source of one branch of the Romanche. 

From the lower end of the glacier a 
rapid slope leads in \ hr. to the pastures 
at the head of the valley, from whence 
it is a pleasant walk of ^ hr. to the Chalets 
de l'Alpe, leaving on the rt. the path 
which mounts to the E. to the Col d'Ar- 



sine, leading from La Grave to Monestier. 
From the chalets 1^ hr. takes the tra- 
veller by a good path to Villard d'Arene, 
and A hr. farther by the high road is 
La Grave en Oisans (see § 8, Rte. A). 
[This pass was effected for the second 
time by Messrs. W. Mathews and Bon- 
ney, on Aug. 26, 1862. At that season 
the passage from the rocks below the Col 
to the glacier presented serious difficul- 
ties, and they consumed more than 6 hrs. 
in reaching La Grave from the summit.] 
It would probably be equally easy, 
and rather snorter, to descend from the 
Glacier d'Arsine into the valley which 
leads to Monestier, where the accom- 
modation is far superior to that at La 
Grave. 



Route H. 

vallouise to monestier — col de 
l'echauda. 

This is an easy and comparatively 
frequented pass, practicable for mules. 
The track from Ville Vallouise diverges 
from the main valley of the Gyr at the 
hamlet of Claux, 1 hr. distant, and mount- 
ing over green pastures reaches, in about 
2 hrs. farther, the scattered chalets of 
Echauda. From thence the ascent con- 
tinues on the E. side of the valley, 
keeping to the rU of some precipitous 
rocks that appear to bar the passage. 
Above this is a green basin surrounded 
by rocky summits, at the N. end of 
which is the summit of the Col, if hr. 
from Echauda. The descent to Mones- 
tier is free from difficulty, and may be 
easily accomplished in 2 hrs. — in all, 
about 6| hrs.' walking from Vallouise. 



ROUTE K. — VALLEYS OF THE HAUTES ALPES. 



bo 



Route I. 

LA GRAVE EN OISANS TO ST. CHRISTOPHE 
COL DE LA SELLE. 

An account of this pass is given in 
the Second Series of 'Peaks, Passes, and 
Glaciers/ by Mr. F. Elliot Blackstone, 
who crossed it in 1855 with a friend, and 
a chasseur, who was recommended as 
guide by the innkeeper at La Grave, 
and proved himself to be a good moun- 
taineer. 

After passing the Romanche, a path 
leads up the steep slopes below the 
glaciers of the Aiguille du Midi, bear- 
ing gradually to the rt. Before reaching 
the snow-fields it is necessary to climb 
some high and steep rocks, resembling 
those of the Hornli, above Zermatt. The 
summit is a ridge overlooking a glacier 
of very pure ice, which slopes away to 
the rt. towards the Combe de Malval. 
Following the ridge, the neve was soon 
reached, and this being covered with 
fresh snow, 2 hrs. were consumed in 
reaching the Col. The view from hence 
seems to be extensive and interesting. 
To judge from the description and 
ground-plan given in the account above 
cited, the pass probably lies immedi- 
ately to theW. of the Bateau (12,317'). 
A few paces below the Col on the N. 
side you reach the edge of a vast semi- 
circular hollow, overlooking at a great 
depth below the Glacier de la Selle. 
The descent over the slippery slopes on 
this side requires caution, and when 
coated with hard snow should not be 
attempted without the rope and ice-axe. 
For want of these needful implements, 
Mr. Blackstone's companion narrowly 
escaped destruction. Lower down the 
descent is over rocks, steep but not 
very difficult. After gaining the valley 
below, a rough path leads along the 
stream, called Torrent du Diable, to 
St. Christophe. 4 A good pedestrian 
ought to cross the pass in 10 J hours.' — 
[F. E. B.] 

The attention of future explorers is 
called to the glaciers at the head of the 
Vallon de la Selle. Either from this 



side, or from the Glacier des Etancons, 
it may be possible to reach the summit 
of the Meije, or Aiguille du Midi de la 
Grave ( 13,081'), the second in height 
of the Pelvoux group. 



Route K. 

VALLOUISE TO EMBRUN, BY THE VALLEIS 
OF THE HAUTES ALPES. 

To the S. of the central group of the 
Pelvoux a considerable group of high 
mountains, chiefly composed of eocene 
rocks, extends between the rivers 
Drac and Durance. No one peak rises 
much above its fellows, but the short 
ridges, which usually tend to a direction 
from W. to E., include many summits 
that range from 10,000 to 11,000 ft. In 
regard to this neglected district, the 
editor has procured little information 
beyond some brief notes of an excursion 
made by Mr. A. P. Whately in 1854. 

From the village of Puy St. Vincent, 
less than 2 m. S. of Vallouise, a path 
leads SW. to the hamlet of Narreyroux, 
and from thence by the Col de Bal to 
the Bergerie de Haut Martin, 5£ hrs. 
from Ville Vallouise. The view from the 
Col, with the precipices of Arpec in 
front and the Viso in the distance, is 
extremely fine. The Bergerie is pro- 
bably the same as laid down in the 
French military map as Cabane des 
Ayes. 

From the Bergerie a track mounts 
nearly due W. along the Fournel tor- 
rent to the Col de Haut Martin, or 
d'Argentiere, and descends into the 
Val Rognons, which forms the upper 
end of the Val Champoleon. From 
thence another ascent leads by the Col 
de Prelles into the Vallon de Prelles, 
and a third and steeper pass — the Col 
d'Orcieres — must be traversed to reach 
L'Eglise, where there is a tolerable inn, 
£hez Rogier. Time, from the IJergerie 



8G 



DAUPHIN E ALPS.,. § 9. PELVOUX DISTRICT. 



to L'Eglise, hrs.' walking. The 
place called L'Eglise by Mr. Whately is 
apparently the village of Orcitres, laid 
down on the military map. 

It will be observed the two last- 
mentioned passes lie on the W. side of 
the watershed, and it would be easy to 
descend in that direction to the valley 
of the Drac. Should the traveller 
desire to return to the valley of the 
Durance, he may ascend in 4 hrs. by 
Prapic to the Col des Tourcttes (8,4650, 
so called from two singular limestone 
pillars at the summit. The SE. side of 
the pass leads down to the valley of 
Chateauroux, where are seen pinnacles 
of friable limestone surmounted by 
boulders similar to those in the Val de 
Molines (§ 4, Rte. D). About 4 hrs. 
are required for the descent from the 
Col to the village of Chateauroux, on 
the high road from Embrun to Mont 
Dauphin, about 1 hr. walking from the 
former and 2\ hrs. from the latter 
place. 

The preceding excursion might be 
varied by combining with it a visit to 
the Val Freissinieres, a valley still wilder 
and more desolate than those above 
noticed, and interesting as one of the 
scenes of Felix Neff's labours. This is 
divided from the Val de Haut Martin 
by the lofty ridge of Dormillouse, whose 
highest point attains 10,571 ft. The 
valley is most easily accessible from the 
valley of the Durance. Opposite the 
village of La Roche, 6 or 7 m. N. of 
Mont Dauphin, a long wooden bridge 
crosses the Durance, and from thence 
a path mounts rather steeply to the 
hamlet of Pallon, crosses the Biaysse 
torrent which drains the valley, and 
farther on returns to the L bank to the 
village of Freissinieres, 1 hr. from the 
bridge, surrounded by orchards and 
corn fields, i hr. farther is Les Viollws, 
which contains a Protestant church 
built by Neff. About hr. higher up is 
the last hamlet, called Dormillouse, a 
group of miserable hovels not far from 
the foot of the glaciers, where the 
poverty-stricken natives dwell in the 
same sheds with their cattle. There 



are doubtless passes to the TV. leading 
from hence to Champoleon or Orcieres, 
but the editor has not received in- 
formation about them. 



Route L. 

BOURG D'OISANS TO GRENOBLE, BY 
LA MURE. 

By the Col d'Ornon 49£ Eng. m. By Lavaldens 
about 48 m. 

The group of high Alps described in 
this section is most frequently ap- 
proached from the valleys of the 
Romanche or the Durance, but it sends 
a considerable portion of its waters to 
the sea through the Drac, which forms 
its STV. limit The most convenient 
point in the valley of the Drac for 
exploring the higher Alpine valleys on 
that side of the group is La Mure, 
which is on the high road from Gap to 
Grenoble, daily traversed by diligences, 
and easily reached from Bourg d'Oisans 
by either of the routes here described. 
To a traveller bound from the Bourg 
for Grenoble the detour by La Mure 
offers the inducement of more varied and 
picturesque scenery, but would involve 
an additional day, unless he should en- 
gage a vehicle from Entraigues to La 
Mure, and from the latter town to 
Grenoble. 

The direct way from Bourg d'Oisans 
to La Mure is by the valley of the Lig- 
nare torrent, which joins the Romanche 
about 2 m. below the Bourg. The up- 
per portion of this valley belongs to the 
commune of Ornon, which, as commonly 
happens in Dauphine, includes a num- 
ber of scattered hamlets. About 1|> hr. 
from the Bourg on the I. bank of the 
Lignare is Palus, the lowest of these 
hamlets ; several others, including the 
principal hamlet, are seen perched upon 
eminences, in picturesque positions. 



ROUTE L. — LA MURE. 



87 



overlooking the valley. From hence 
the summit of the Taillefer (§8, Rte. A) 
may be attained, but a guide is required. 
In J hr. from Falus the traveller reaches 
the Col oVOrnon (4,380'), a low pass 
between two peaks about 8,500 ft. in 
height. On the S. side of the Col, the 
path descends through the valley of the 
Malsanne, much wilder than that of the 
Lignare. About 2 J hrs. suffice to reach 
the village of Entraigues, where there is 
an inn. This derives its name from 
the junction of the Malsanne with the 
Bonne, issuing from the Val Joutfrey. 
A good carriage road leads from hence 
to La Mure, 11^ m. Under the bridge 
by which it crosses the Bonne 500 yards 
above the junction of the two streams, 
the torrent forms a fine waterfall. 3 
m. below Entraigues is Valbonnais, 
picturesquely placed on the rt. bank of 
the Bonne, and somewhat lower down 
the road returns to the L bank, and 
winds at a great height above the stream 
along the channelled slopes which have 
eaten into vast deposits of gravel and 
detritus that at some period filled a 
great portion of the valley. 5 m. below 
Valbonnais the road joins the high 
road from Grenoble to Gap, close to the 
Pont Haut, a bridge over the united 
streams of the Bonne and the Roisonne. 
Just below their junction the bridge 
is crossed, and a rather long ascent to- 
wards the NE. is required to reach La 
Mure. The new road winds in long 
zigzags for a distance of 3 m., but pedes- 
trians prefer the old road, which in 
m. reaches 

La Mure (Inn : Hotel Pelloux), a 
small town of 3,000 inhabitants, famous 
for the resistance made by its Huguenot 
population, when besieged, in 1580, by 
the Duke of Mayenne. Built on a pla- 
teau 2,860 ft. above the sea, the climate 
in winter is very severe. The distance 
by the high-road from La Mure to Gre- 
noble is 38 kil. = 23j m. Before reach- 
ing Pierre Chatel, the road passes near 
some of the works connected with the 
anthracite mines, which are here worked 
on a great scale, the consumption having 
enormously increased of late years. 



[A few miles to the W. of the high 
road is La Motte les Bains, a watering- 
place chiefly frequented by rheumatic 
and scrofulous patients. Excepting one 
inn, called Hotel duBois, all the accom- 
modation is under the single roof 
of the etablissement, where 300 per- 
sons find beds, besides baths, salons, 
dining-rooms, reading-rooms, &c. The 
scenery of the neighbourhood is agree- 
able, but scarcely equal to that of 
Uriage or Allevard.] 

About 8 m. from La Mure is Laffrey, 
a small village, with an inn, and a 
church built by the Ttmplars, com- 
manding a very extensive view. It 
stands on the highest part of an exten- 
sive plateau, more than 3,000 ft. in 
height, on which are four lakes, the 
largest about 2 m. long and ^-m. broad. 
Here was the first meeting of Napoleon 
on his return from Elba with the royal 
troops. Erom LafFrey to Vizi lie the 
road descends constantly for 5 m. a 
height, of more than 2,000 ft. Vizille 
to Grenoble — see § 8, Rte. A. 

The preceding Rte. may be varied 
by taking a different and rather more 
interesting course from Ornon to La 
Mure. Instead of crossing the Col 
d'Ornon, another path, which keeps to 
the rt. from the hamlet of Rivier, fol- 
lows the stream of the Lignare to a pass 
called Clot Beaumont, and in 4 hrs. 
from Bourg reaches the highest hamlet 
in the valley of the Roisonne, called 
Moulin Vieux. \ hr. farther is Laval- 
dens, and 1 hr. beyond this La Valette, 
the principal villages in the valley of 
the Roisonne. Serpentine and crystal- 
line rocks of varied composition are 
found in this valley, as well as metallic 
ores, which cannot be worked to advan- 
tage in consequence of the difficulty of 
access. A rough road leads in 2 hrs. 
from La Valette to La Mure ; 7 \ hrs. 
from Bourg d'Oisans by this Rte. 

A pedestrian might easily reach 
LafFrey from Bourg in 8 hrs.' walk by 
following the Rte. last described so far 
as Moulin Vieux, 4 hrs. From thence 
a path crosses a low Col (4,422') to La 
Morte in 1 hr., and Laffrey is then 



88 



DAUPHINE ALPS. § 



9. PELVOUX DISTRICT. 



reached in 2j or 3 hrs., passing the i 
hamlet of Le Desert, and following a 
ridge which overhangs the gorge of 
Sechilienne in the valley of the Ro- 
manche. 



Route M. 

LA MURE TO LA CHAPELLE IN VAL 
GODEMAR. 

8^ hrs.' walk by the Col de la Vaurze. 

By this Rte. the highest summits of 
the Pelvoux group may be approached 
from the valley of the Drac. Entrai- 
gues is reached by a good road from La 
Mure in 1 1^ m. (see last Rte.). Instead 
of following the Malsanne torrent, a 
rough carriage-road follows the 1. bank 
of the Bonne, passing Gragnolet until 
it crosses to the rt. bank opposite to La 
Chapelle, the chief village of Valjouffrey, 
1 hr. 20 min. from Entraigues. Here is 
the junction of the torrent from Valse- 
nestre with the Bonne. [Two passes 
lead from Valsenestre to the valley of 
the Veneon. One by the Col de la 
Muz.dle to Venos is mentioned in Rte. 
A. The other, more difficult and little 
used, leads by the Breche de Valsenestre 
(8,642') to the valley of Lovitel. The 
lake of the same name which is passed 
in descending towards the Veneon is 
considered the finest in Dauphine, and 



is renowned for its trout. A boat kept 
by a fisherman will save the pedestrian 
a troublesome detour by ferrying him 
across the lake.] 

The way from La Chapelle to Val 
Godemar follows the rt. bank of the 
Bonne, crossing to the 1. bank near Les 
Clarets. By this hamlet is the narrow 
opening of a gorge, through which a 
path leads over the Col de Menoux to 
St. Maurice in Val Godemar. A more 
direct path returns to the rt. bank of the 
Bonne, to which it adheres till it reaches 
the highest hamlet, called Le Desert 
(4,2 16'), 2 J hrs. from Entraigues. Here 
the track quits the Bonne, and in 1 hr. 
mounts by the lateral glen of the Echa- 
renne in a SE. direction to the Col de la 
Vaurze. The descent is steep but not 
difficult, and in another hour the Val 
Godemar is reached at the hamlet of 
Villard Loubieres. Less than 1 hr. suf- 
fices from thi-nce to reach La Chapelle 
en Val Godemar. 

Another and much more difficult way 
from Le Desert follows the torrent of 
the Bonne, first to the NE. and then to 
SE., till near its source in the glaciers 
of the Pic d'Olan (11,739'). Between 
this and the Pic de Turbat (9,941') is 
a rarely-used pass, called Col de Turbat 
(9,800' ?), from whence the descent 
along the Clot torrent leads to the Val 
Godemar, a few hundred yards above 
La Chapelle. 4 Time from Le Desert to 
La Chapelle, 4 hrs.' [Joanne]. From 
La Chapelle the traveller may reach La 
Berarde by the Col de Sais, or Val- 
louise by the Col du Celar. (See Rte. F.) 



89 



CHAPTER IV. 



SOUTH SAVOY ALPS. 



Section 10. 
chambery district. 

Route A — Paris to Chambery — Lake of 

Bourget ..... 
Route B — Grenoble to Chambery, by the 

right bank of the Isere . 
Route C — Grenoble to Chambery, by Mont- 

melian 

Route D — Chambery to the Baths of Alle- 

vard 

Route E — Chambery to Uriage - Ascent of 

the Belledonne .... 
Route F — Chambery to Grenoble, by the 

Grande Chartreuse . . . 
Route G — Chambery to Pont de Beauvoi- 

sin, by Aiguebellette . 
Route H—Aix les Bains to Chatelard — 

Beauges Mountains 
Route I — Chatelard to Chambery 
Route K — Chatelard to Albertville . 
Route L — Chatelard to Annecy . . , 

Section 11. 
tarentaise district. 

Route A — Chambery to Bourg St Maurice 110 
Route B — Bourg St. Maurice to Lansle- 

bourg, by the Col d'Iseran . 113 
Route C — Tignes to "Moutiers Tarentaise, 
or Bourg St. Maurice, by the 
Col du Palet — Ascent of the 
Mont Pourri . . . .117 



Route D — Tignes to Lanslebourg, by the 

Col de la Leisse . . .120 

Route E — Moutiers Tarentaise to Lansle- 
bourg, by the Col de la Va- 
noise — Ascent of the Grande 
Casse 120 

Route F — Pralognan to Modane, by the Col 

de Chaviere, or Col d'Aussois 124 

Route G — St. Michel to Moutiers Taren- 
taise 126 

Route H — St. Jean de Maurienne to Mou- 
tiers Tarentaise, by the Col de 
la Platiere . . . .127 

Route I — La Chambre to Moutiers Taren- 
taise or Albertville, by the 
Col de la Madeleine . . 128 



Section 12. 



ALBERTVILLE DISTRICT. 

Route A — Albertville to Sallanches— Mont 

Joli 129 

Route B — Albertville to Annecy . . 130 
Route C — Annecy to Bonneville . . 132 
Route D— Annecy to Sallanches or Cluses 133 
Route E — Albertville to St. Gervais, by the 

Valley of Beaufort . . .134 
Route F — Albertville to Bourg St. Mau- 
rice, by Beaufort . . 135 
Route G — St. Maxime de Beaufort to 

Moutiers Tarentaise . .136 



From the Roche Melon to Mont Blanc 
the main chain of the Alps, dividing 
the waters which flow to the Adriatic 
from those which are poured into the 
Mediterranean through the Rhone, runs 
in a tolerably direct line from S. to N. 
for about 42 Eng. miles. On the 
E. side of the watershed a very lofty 
group fills the space between the Dora 
Riparia and the Dora Baltea. In the 
opposite direction a still more exten- 
sive, though less elevated, mountain 



region includes the greater part of 
Savoy, and throws out some consider- 
able outlying ranges into the neigh- 
bouring departments of France. Some 
geographers have included both these 
groups under the general designation of 
Graian Alps. It appears, however, 
more convenient and in accordance 
with ancient usage to reserve that de- 
nomination for the eastern group. The 
other, which we shall call the South 
Savoy Alps, bear to the Graians a 



90 



SOUTH SAVOY ALPS. § 10. CHAMBERY DISTRICT. 



relation somewhat analogous to that . 
between the Dauphine and the Cottian 
Alps, with this additional ground for 
distinction — that whereas the Graian 
Alps proper are composed almost ex- 
clusively of crystalline slate, these are 
scarcely anywhere seen in the higher 
ranges of South Savoy, where com- 
paratively little altered sedimentary 
rocks have been carried to the summit 
of the highest peaks. 

The principal group of the South 
Savoy Alps, nearly all appertaining to 
the province of Tarentaise, is com- 
pletely enclosed between the Isere and 
the Arc. N. and W. of the junction 
between those rivers are a number of 
parallel ridges of limestone with inter- 
vening valleys broken through by a 
broad depression, where stands Cham- 
bery, the ancient capital of Savoy. 
Though of no great height, the scenery 
of this latter district, and especially of 
the ranges S. of Chambery, which en- 
close the famous monastery of the 
Grande Chartreuse, has obtained just 
celebrity. N. of the Isere, and between 
Mont Blanc and Annecy, a considerable 
tract of mountain country extends 
towards the valley of the Arve. This, 
which we shall call the Albertville 
district, from the name of its chief 
town, is proposed rather with a view to 
convenience in the arrangement of this 
work than as corresponding to a region 
orographically distinct. (See § 12.) 

With the exception of the main val- 
leys, which are for the most part 
traversed by carriage-roads, the Alps 
described in this chapter have been 
very little visited by English tourists. 
The scenery of the Tarentaise is doubt- 
less inferior in grandeur to that of the 
adjoining Pennine chain, or the High 
Alps of Dauphine ; yet there is no 
w r ant of snow-clad peaks and glaciers 
to tempt the aspiring mountaineer, 
while among the lower ranges W. of 
the Isere many excursions full of 
novelty and interest are open to those 
who prefer to avoid risk and fatigue. 
The accommodation usually available 
to a traveller in South Savoy is de- 



I cidedly superior to that of Dauphine, 
I but usually deficient in cleanliness. 
The worst quarters are found in the 
upper valley of the Isere, where, as not 
seldom happens, the absence of all 
decent provision for their comfort is 
accompanied by a strong desire to prey 
upon the purses of strangers. 



SECTION 10. 

CHAMBERY DISTRICT GRANDE 

CHARTREUSE. 

A line drawn from SSW. to NNE., 
between Grenoble and Sallanches, 
through the valley of the Isere and that 
of its affluent the Arly, marks a bound- 
ary which appears to have much sig- 
nificance in the orography of this part 
of the Alpine chain. W. of that line, 
many parallel ridges of limestone, rarely 
attaining 7,000 Eng. feet in height, 
form a series of deep trenches, which 
are cut through, but not at rt. angles, 
by three parallel valleys. These are 
the valley of Chambery, that of the 
Cheran, and the still deeper hollow 
which is occupied by the Lake of 
Annecy and the valley of the Eau 
Morte. Although there are clear indi- 
cations that the forces which have 
given their direction to these western 
ridges have also operated on the ad- 
joining groups of the Tarentaise and 
Oisans, it would appear that there is a 
still closer relation between the former 
and the chain of the Jura, whose SW. 
extremity is in the adjoining depart- 
ment of the Ain. 

In the Chambery district we include 
the greater part of the region here 
defined, excluding only the portion 
NE. of the Lake of Annecy and the path 
which, after passing Faverges and the 
Col de Tamie, joins the Isere at Clery 
Frontenex, this being more conve- 
niently placed in the Albertville dis- 
trict. As thus limited, this district 
includes three groups — the Beauges, 



ROUTE A. — LAKE OF BOURGET. 



91 



lying between Chambery and the Lake 
of Annecy ; the Grande Chartreuse 
group, extending from Chambery to 
the bend of the Isere below Grenoble ; 
and the range of the Mont du Chat, 
W. of the Lac de Bourget. The valley 
of the Isere, between Grenoble and 
Montmelian, known in Dauphine by 
the name of Graisivaudan, along with 
the minor valleys which intervene be- 
tween it and the chain of the Belle- 
donne, are also included in this district. 
The baths of Alievard and Uriage 
both offer desirable head-quarters for a 
mountaineer, while the entire district 
abounds in agreeable scenery, easily 
accessible to ladies, and even to in- 
valids. 



Route A. 

PARIS TO CHAMBERY LAKE OF 

BOURGET. 

Railway in 14 h. 24 min. by Express train, 
596 kilometres =370± Eng. miles. 

There is but one direct train daily 
from Paris to Chambery. This is the 
night express (carrying first-class pas- 
sengers only), which leaves Paris at 
8 p.m.; reaches Macon at 5.45 a.m., 
and Chambery at 10.50 a.m. A so- 
called omnibus train, carrying 1st, 2nd, 
and 3rd class passengers, leaves Paris 
at 10.40 p.m., halts at Macon next day 
from 12.50 to 3.5 p.m., and reaches 
Chambery at 8.40 p.m., thus employing 
22 hrs. 

Travellers who do not wish to travel 
by night may take the morning express 
from Paris at 11.5 a.m , which reaches 
Macon at 8.31 p.m., and proceed on 
their journey at 5.20 a.m. next morning. 

The main line of the railway from 
Paris to Lyons and Marseilles is fol- 
lowed as far as 

t Macon (Inns : Europe, good ; Champs 
Elysees ; Sauvage). Here the line to 
Geneva and Chambery leaves the Lyons 
rly., which is carried along the rt. 
bank of the Saone, and, after crossing 



that river, traverses the Department of 
the Ain, passes Bourg, its chief town, 
close to which is the famous church of 
Brou, one of the finest monuments of 
the later Gothic architecture in France, 
and at the station of Amberieux meets 
the rly. from Lyons to Geneva. Three 
trains usually meet at this station ; and 
as their direction is reversed, mistakes 
are frequently made, to the serious in- 
convenience of travellers, who should 
ascertain by enquiry that they are 
placed in the right train for their des- 
tination. Between Amberieux and 
Culoz the rly. passes through the last 
ramifications of the chain of the Jura 
mountains, and in approaching the 
latter station winds round the S. base 
of the Mont Colombier (4,7330. From 
the summit, easily reached in 4 hrs. 
from the rly. stations of Culoz or Arte- 
mart, there is an admirable view of the 
Savoy Alps, with the lakes of Bourget, 
Annecy, and Geneva, while on the side 
of France it extends to Lyons and the 
mountains of the Ardeche. At Culoz, 
where there is a good refreshment room, 
the rly. to Geneva turns nearly due N., 
ascending the valley of the Bhone ; 
while the Chambery line crosses that 
river on a long bridge, and is then 
carried SE. across the marshy tract 
that separates the river from the Lake 
of Bourget. 

It is here apparent that within a 
period geologically very recent, and 
perhaps since this region was inhabited 
by man, the waters of the Lake of 
Bourget extended over a large area on 
either side of the Rhone ; while in the 
opposite direction they reached to 
Chambery, and perhaps even to the 
valley of the Isere. At about 4 m. 
from Culoz the rly. attains the N. shore 
of the lake, close to the village and 
castle of Chatillon. From thence to 
Aix les Bains it is carried along the E. 
side of the lake, passing by four tunnels 
under as many rocky promontories, 
but for the greater part of the distance 
commanding very beautiful views of 
the lake and the range of the Mont du 
Chat. At about 12 m. from Culoz 



92 



SOUTH SAVOY ALPS. § 10. CHAMBERY DISTRICT. 



a short branch line turns off to the L, 
and in lj m. reaches 

Aix les Bains, one of the most fre- 
quented and agreeable watering-places 
on the continent. All the principal 
houses are either hotels or pensions. 
The following are considered first-class 
hotels: H. Venat — rather dear; H. 
Guilland ; H. Royal; H. des Princes; 
H. Jeandet ; H. de l'Univers. There 
are a multitude of pensions where a 
single man may find board and lodging 
at about 5 frs. per day. The Cafe 
Dardel is recommended for breakfasts. 
The charges for carriages, horses, don- 
keys, and boats are regulated by tariff, 
and will be found in all the hotels. 

The mineral waters of Aix have been 
known for at least IS centuries, and 
are now frequented by about 6,000 
patients annually, without counting the 
neighbouring country people. The 
position of the place, amidst the undu- 
lating and richly-cultivated slopes that 
intervene between the Beauges moun- 
tains and the lake of Bourget, is too low 
and too warm to suit a mountaineer, 
but offers to those who use the waters a 
variety of interesting excursions, for the 
most part very easy of access. One of 
the best points for a view over the lake 
and the surrounding country is the 
Revars (5,112'), one of the summits of 
the ridge called Mont oVAzy, which 
bounds on the E. side the plain of Aix. 
This may be easily reached by the 
village of Mouxy in about 3 hrs. The 
descent need not occupy more than 
2 hrs. The chief natural attraction of 
which Aix can boast is, however, the 
neighbourhood of the beautiful lake of 
Bourget, which may well vie with many 
others of greater celebrity. Reduced 
to less than half its original dimensions 
by the detritus carried down by the 
Rhone at the north, and the Laisse at 
its southern extremity, it is at present 
about 10 m. in length, with an average 
breadth of fully 2 miles. The W. side 
is bounded by the long and steep ridge 
of the Mont du Chat, which is the con- 
necting link between the outer ranges 
of the Savoy Alps and the chain of the 



Jura. The height of this very uniform 

ridge exceeds 3,500 Eng. feet, but 
opposite to Aix is a depression — the 
Col du Mont du Chat— not more than 
2,070 ft. in height, and immediately 
to the S. a bold craggy peak — the 
Dent du Chat — the Righi of this part of 
Savoy, vying with that famous moun- 
tain in the extent of its panorama, but 
not comparable for the exquisite com- 
bination of all the elements of Alpine 
scenery in which the Righi remains un- 
surpassed. There is this further differ- 
ence, that whereas the Swiss mountain 
is easily accessible on every side, and 
is covered with places of entertainment 
for strangers, the Dent du Chat is 
decidedly difficult of attainment by all 
but practised cragsmen, the path on 
the upper part being scarcely traced. 
The usual course is to cross the 
lake to the little village of Bordeau, 
whence the summit may be reached in 
3 hrs. 15 min. suffice to reach the 
high-road from Chambery to Yenne, 
which mounts in long zigzags to the 
Col. An easy ascent leads in J hr. to 
the summit level, a little above the 
hamlet of Grateloup. The view from 
the Col is very extensive, and will 
well reward those who cannot achieve 
the remainder of the ascent. To reach 
the peak of the Dent du Chat it is 
necessary to descend along the high- 
road for about 15 min. on the slope 
towards Yenne (Rte. G), and then turn 
to the 1. along a path which leads in 
20 min. to a little country inn. Here 
the steeper part of the climb com- 
mences ; the way, which is but faintly 
traced, lies in turn amidst trees, up 
steep slopes of debris, and over rocks, 
till in | hr. from the inn the ridge 
of the mountain overlooking the Col 
is attained. This is followed for J hr. 
to the base of the highest peak, or 
tooth of rock, which from a distance 
appears quite inaccessible. On the E. 
side, overlooking the lake, the rocks 
form a rough staircase, by which the 
summit (5,302') is gained without any 
real difficulty. The descent need not 
occupy more than 2 hrs. 



ROUTE B. VALLEY OF THE ISEEE. 



93 



Among other excursions to be made 
from Aix, that to the Abbey of Haute 
Combe should not be omitted. This 
stands on the steep W, shore of the 
lake, about 5 m. N. of Aix. Founded 
in 1125, it was for many centuries the 
burial place of the princes of the 
house of Savoy. The present building 
is a modern restoration, executed with 
questionable taste, but many of the 
tombs are interesting and deserve notice 
as works of art. 

The distance from Aix to Chambery 
by rly. is about 10 Eng. miles. The 
approach to the capital of Savoy through 
the broad valley which separates the 
mountains of the Grande Chartreuse 
from those of Beauges abounds with 
fine points of view. Belonging to the 
former group are the Mont Grelle 
(4,649') SYV., and the Mont Granier 
(6,348' J due S., while to the NE. the 
Dent de Nivolet (4,597'), an advanced 
bastion of the Beauges, presents a very 
bold front. 

[This summit, marked by a large 
wooden cross, is easily reached in 4 hrs 
from Chambery, following the carriage- 
road, to Chatelard (Rte. I) as far as 
Desert, and thence ascending the E. 
slope of the mountain. The direct way 
from Chambery is very steep. The view 
is not equal to that from the Dent du 
Chat.] 

Chambery (Inns : H. de Erance; H. 
de l'Europe — both good ; Petit Paris, 
near the diligence office) is a small city 
of cheerful aspect, now reduced from 
its rank as capital of Savoy to that of 
chief town of a department and residence 
of a prefect. The slopes of the hills in 
the neighbourhood, covered with villas 
and gardens, give an air of wealth and 
importance to which the interior of the 
city scarcely corresponds. Of the nu- 
merous excursions to be made in the 
neighbourhood the most frequented is 
to Les Charmettes, well known to the 
readers of the 'Confessions' of J. -J. 
Eousseau, about ^ hr. walk from the 
city. The house and garden have 
been kept nearly in the same state 
since his time. To the lover of nature 



a more interesting walk is that to the 
Bout du Monde, at the base of the Dent 
de Nivolet, reached in 1 hr. by either 
bank of the Laisse torrent ; the path 
turns aside towards the N. at the open- 
ing of the gorge of the Doria, a stream 
which descends through a cleft between 
the Dent de Nivolet and the Chaffar- 
don. 

A somewhat longer expedition is that 
to the AMmes de Myans, most easily 
reached from the first station on the rly. 
to Modane, called Route de Grenoble. 
Several small lakes lying in the midst 
of a number of conical hillocks have 
attracted the attention of geologists 
ever since the time of Saussure. It ap- 
pears certain that both the lakes and 
the hillocks owe their origin to a great 
berg-fall from the neighbouring peak of 
the Mont Granier. That mountain is 
noticed in Rte. B. 



Route B. 

GRENOBLE TO CHAMBERY, BY THE RIGHT 
BANK OE THE ISERE — MONT GRANIER. 

Kilometres Eng. miles 



St. Ismier . 


. 11 


Lumbin 


9 


Le Touvet . 


. 7 


Barraux 


9 


Chapareillan 


4 


Les Marches 


5 


Chambery . 


. 11 




56 



The direct way from Grenoble to 
Chambery lies through the beautiful 
valley of the Isere as far as Mont- 
melian. A railway is in progress which 
will be carried from the latter town 
along the L bank of the river. There 
are high-roads traversed by diligences 
along both banks, but the post-road is 
on the rt. bank. Either road offers 
attractions in point of scenery, but that 
of the rt. bank commands the finest 
views of the neighbouring Alps. 

The road leaves Grenoble by the 
Porte St. Laurent on the N. side of the 
river, and winds along the base of the 



94 



SOUTH SAVOY ALPS. § 10. CHAMBERY DISTRICT. 



Mont St. Eynard, a long ridge which 
encloses the valley on this side, and is 
frequently visited by the botanists of 
the neighbourhood. After passing Mont- 
bonnot, a picturesque village surmounted 
by a ruined castle, the range of the 
Belledonne comes well into view to the 
E., and is the most striking object in the 
fine panorama which is almost every- 
where discovered in this part of the 
valley of Graisivaudan. 2 m. beyond 
Montbonnot is St. Ismier, a village at 
the foot of the highest part of the Mont 
St. Eynard (4,846'). [A rough foot- 
path mounts from the village towards 
the N. and leads to the Grande Char- 
treuse in about 5 hrs. (?) Another 
path, practicable for mules, and more 
interesting, leaves the high-road about 
1 m. beyond St. Ismier, after it has 
traversed the torrent of Manival. 
The track mounts for ^ hr. by the 1. 
bank of that torrent through a fine 
gorge, and then ascends by zigzags to 
the ridge on the E. side, which forms 
the edge of a plateau crowned by the 
Dent de Crolles. The way now keeps 
to the N. towards a pass, called by 
Joanne Col de Manival, and descends 
from thence to St. Pierre de Chartreuse. 
By this way the Grande Chartreuse may 
be reached in less than 5 hrs. from the 
high-road. A third track leaves the 
road at the village of Bernin, about 2 m. 
farther from Grenoble, and after passing 
Craponnoz ascends to St. Pancrace, 
meeting the last route to the N. of the 
Col de Manival. An active pedestrian 
taking a light carriage from Grenoble 
may reach the Chartreuse in less time 
by any one of the above paths than by 
the more frequented route by Sappey.] 
Bernin, 9j m. from Grenoble, stands 
beside a stream of the same name, which, 
when full, forms, near Craponnoz, one 
of the most picturesque waterfalls in 
Dauphine. N. of the village is the 
Dent de Crolles, or Petit Som (6,778 ), 
one of the highest summits in the range 
W. of the Isere. About 3 m. farther 
is Lumbin, a post- station, and several 
other small villages and hamlets are 
passed before reaching Le Touvet (H. 



de la Poste), a large village, near to 
which is a suspension bridge over the 
Isere. The ridge to the E., called Haut 
du Seuil, commands a magnificent view 
of the valley of Graisivaudan and the 
ranges of the Dauphine Alps. Near 
the summit is a very curious amphithe- 
atre of rock, resembling on a small scale 
the cirques of the Pyrenees. 

3 m. beyond Le Touvet (20 m. from 
Grenoble) is La Buissiere, at the foot 
of the ridge of the Alpette (6,040'), a 
portion of the almost continuous range 
which extends from the Mt. St. Eynard 
to the Mont Granier, and which every- 
where commands noble views of the 
High Alps. Across this range lies a 
track leading^ by St. Pierre d'Entre- 
mont to Les Echelles (Rte. F). Less 
than a mile beyond La Buissiere the 
new road to Chambery turns to the rt., 
passing between the Fort of Barraux 
and the Isere. The Fort stands on a 
rock 430 ft. above the river, and sepa- 
rated from the village of the same 
name, standing on the lower slopes of 
the Alpette, by a little col or saddle 
over which the old road was carried. 
A third way, recommended to pedes- 
trians, passes to the 1. of the old road 
through the picturesque village of Bar- 
raux. The three roads unite about 
4 m. farther on, passing a few hundred 
yards to the rt. of the village of Cka- 
pareillan, which stands near the foot of 
the Mont Granier. 

[Of all the mountain excursions in 
the outer ranges of the Savoy Alps 
there is none, excepting perhaps that 
of the Mont du Chat (Rte. A), so in- 
teresting and agreeable as the ascent 
of the Mont Granier. From 4 to 4|- 
hrs. are requisite for the ascent, and 
about 3 hrs. for the return to Chapa- 
reillan. Although not more than 6,348 
ft. above the sea, the upper part of the 
mountain is quite alpine in character, 
and the panorama is admirable. The 
excursion may be easily made from 
Chambery, and may be recommended 
to those who are approaching the Savoy 
or Dauphine Alps from that city. To 
avoid the inconvenience of taking 



ROUTE C. MONTMELIAN. 



95 



wrong paths in the forest it is expe- 
dient to take a guide. The way 
usually followed is by the hamlet of 
La Palud (where a guide may be 
engaged), J hr. above Chapareillan. 
For J hr. farther the way lies over 
marshy meadows, and then through a 
forest, in which deciduous trees ulti- 
mately give place to pines. After a 
rather steep ascent the track passes a 
shepherd's hut, and soon after attains 
the highest plateau of the mountain, 
composed of calcareous rock, traversed 
by a system of fissures much resembling 
glacier crevasses.] 3 m. beyond Cha- 
pareillan is the village of Les Marches, 
about J m. distant from the rly. 
station," called Route de Grenoble. 
From thence Chambery (Rte. A) is 
reached either by road or rly., passing 
through very pleasing scenery. 



Route C. 

GRENOBLE TO CHAMBERY, BY MONT- 
MELIAN AND THE LEFT BANK OF 
THE ISERE. 



Kilometres Eng. miles 



Domene 


. 10 


6£ 


Tencin . 


. 16 


10 


Goncelin 


4 


2| 


Pontcharra . 


. 10 


s 


Montmelian 


. 10 




Chambery . 


. 14 


if 




64 


40 



The rly. along this bank of the 
river, between Grenoble and Montme- 
lian, is in progress. The road is daily 
traversed by several diligences. 

On leaving Grenoble the road is 
carried nearly due E., avoiding the 
banks of the Isere, which here follows 
a very sinuous course. On the oppo- 
site bank many villages and hamlets 
are seen, perched upon a sort of terrace 
running along the middle height of the 
mountain range that extends from the 
Mont Rachais to the Mont Granier, 
but which are invisible from the road 
of the rt. bank. At Gieres, about 4 m. 
from Grenoble, where there are many 



pretty villas, the road crosses the Son- 
nant torrent, descending from St. Martin 
d'Uriage. The next village is 

Domene (H. du Commerce), on the 
Domenon, one of the chief torrents 
descending from the Belledonne. This 
supplies abundant water-power, which 
is applied to various industrial uses. 
There are here the ruins of a church 
belonging to a monastery destroyed 
during the Revolution ; and at a short 
distance is a bridge leading to the 
rt. bank of the Isere. 3 m. farther on 
the high-road is Lancey, where the 
road crosses a powerful torrent de- 
scending from the Lac duCrozet(6,457')> 
which lies under the peak of the Grande 
Lance (9,246'). To the rt. of the road 
is seen a fine chateau belonging to M. 
de Boys, which commands an admir- 
able view of the valley of Graisivau- 
dan. 16^ m. from Grenoble is Tencin, 
on a torrent from the Dent de la Prat, 
another of the peaks of the Belledonne 
range. In the grounds of a chateau 
belonging to M. de St. Eynard, the 
representative of one of the oldest 
families in this part of France, is a 
gorge abruptly barred across by a 
wall of rock. This spot, called Bout 
du Monde, is often visited by strangers. 
Near to this is the suspension bridge 
over the Isere, leading to Le Tou- 
vet. 2jj m. farther on is Goncelin, a 
large scattered village, the lower part 
of which was utterly destroyed by 
a waterspout in 1827. A country 
road leads in 8 m. to the Baths of 
Allevard (Rte. D), a more direct way 
from Grenoble, but less interesting 
than the road by Pontcharra, a large 
village, just half way between Goncelin 
and Montmelian, close to the junction of 
the Breda with the Isere. For the road 
from thence to Allevard, see Rte. D. 
About a mile from Pontcharra are the 
remains of the Chateau de Bayard, the 
birthplace of the illustrious Chevalier 
de Bayard. Though in sadly neglected 
condition, the place deserves a visit. 
The offices serve as a farm-house, and 
but one of the three floors which com- 
posed the main building now remains. 



96 



SOUTH SAVOY ALPS. § 10. CHAMBERY DISTRICT. 



The road from Pontcharra to Mont- 
melian is very beautiful, lying chiefly 
among orchards, with the fine range of 
the Mont Granier on the opposite side 
of the valley full in view. 

Montmclian (Hotel des Voyageurs) 
was once famous as one of the strongest 
fortresses in Europe. The works are 
now in ruins, and the chief importance 
of the place arises from its position at 
the junction of the Victor Emmanuel 
rly, with the road to Grenoble. There 
are but three trains daily to Chambery. 
(See Rte. B.) 



Route D. 

CHAMBERT TO THE BATHS OF ALLEVARD. 
EXCURSIONS FROM ALLEVARD. 

38 Kilometres =23f Eng. miles to Allevard. 

The road to Allevard turns off from 
the high-road between Grenoble and 
Montmelian (Rte. C) at the village of 
Pontcharra. Those who hire a carriage 
at Chambery may choose between that 
road and another equally interesting, 
and about the same in distance, by Les 
Marches and the Port of Barraux (Rte. 
B), reaching Pontcharra by a suspen- 
sion bridge across the Isere. Prom 
Pontcharra the road mounts along the 
t bank of the Breda through very 
beautiful park-like scenery, and com- 
manding pleasing views of the sur- 
rounding mountains, especially in de- 
scending from Allevard. Near the 
village of Montaret (5^ m. from Pont- 
charra) the valley turns sharply to the 
S., and the road, keeping to the 1. bank, 
mounts gradually above the Breda, 
which runs in a deep gorge below. The 
snowy mass of the Gleyzin appears to 
close the head of the valley. 

At 14 kilometres, or 8| Eng. m., 
from the high-road, are the Baths of 
Allevard (Inns: H. des Bains, in the 
court of the etablissement ; H. Planta, 
both good ; H. du Louvre ; H. de la 



Terrasse, commanding a fine view; be- 
sides many other second-rate houses). 
As usual at watering-places, there are 
many houses let in furnished lodgings. 
The waters of Allevard have only of 
late years attracted much notice," but 
are now annually frequented by many 
hundreds of visitors. In composition 
and qualities they are said to resemble 

I those of the Eaux Bonnes. Allevard 

I no doubt owes much of its attraction 
to the beauty of its scenery, and the 
mildness of its climate, which is un- 
usually free from fog. The village stands 
on both banks of the Breda, at about 
1,550 feet above the sea. The Chateau 
is not remarkable, but the adjoining 
grounds are prettily laid out and much 
resorted to by visitors. A serious 
drawback to the advantages of this 
place is the prevalence of goitre and 
cretinism among the natives. Invalids 
should be cautioned against the rapid 
fall in temperature which usually takes 
place after sunset. 

Among the numerous excursions to 
be made from the Baths, the most fre- 
quented is that to the gorge called Bout 
du Monde, passing a large foundry. 
The ascent of the Brame Fari7ie (3 ,983'), 
a point in the ridge between the valley 
of the Breda and that of the Isere may 
be made in 1^ hr. 20 min. from Al- 
levard is a curious ruin called the 
Tour de Treuil, dating from the 9th or 
10th century, being the remnant of a 
castle belonging to the ancient family 
of Crouy Chanel. A path mounts 
thence through a ravine planted with 
walnut trees, and then winds up the 
mountain side to the hamlet of Crozet. 
Several other paths lead from the Baths, 
and there is no difficulty in finding the 

I way to the Brame Parine, which forms 
the crest of the ridge. From another 

I rocky summit J hr. farther S., called 
Les Cinq Pointes (4,232'), the view is 
still finer. In descending from Crozet, 
visitors often avail themselves of the 
sledges which are used lor the convey- 
ance of wood, reaching the Baths in 
15 min. — charge, 2 fr. for two persons. 
E. of the Baths is the Taillat (4,558'), 



ROUTE D. EXCURSIONS FROM ALLEVARD. 



97 



often ascended for the sake of the view. 
Mountaineers will prefer to reach the 
Petit Charnier (6,969'), 4j hrs., or the 
Grand Charnier (8.412'), 6 hrs., from 
Allevard. (See §8, Rte. F.) The 
guides at Allevard are paid from 2 to 
3 fr. for short excursions, and from 5 to 
6 fr. for longer walks, considered equi- 
valent to a day's work. 

In § 8, Rtes. E and F, the principal 
passes leading from Allevard and the 
upper valley of the Breda to the val- 
ley of the Romanche, and to that of 
the Arc, have already been described. 
Many other easier passes lead in 
various directions, and may here be 
briefly noticed. 

To Grenoble. A carriage-road much 
frequented passes by the village of St 
Pierre d' Allevard (2^ m.), where a 
ruined tower is the only remaining ves- 
tige of a monastery, dating from the 
11th century. 2j m. farther is the 
village o f Moretel, near which are seen 
the remains of two ruined castles. In 
traversing by a comparatively low pass 
the ridge which separates the Breda 
from the Isere, the road commands a 
fine view of the opposite range of the 
Grande Chartreuse. About 8 m. from 
Allevard is Goncelin, on the high-road 
from Montmelian to Grenoble, 18f m. 
from the latter town. See Rte. C. 

To Chamousset. A char-road leads 
in about 4| m. to Arvillard, and thence 
to La Rochette, in the valley of the 
Gelon. Following that stream it reaches 
Chamousset in the valley of the Arc 
(§ 7, Rte. A), 15 m. from the Baths. 

To Aiguebelle. The Gelon torrent 
makes so sharp an angle at La Rochette, 
that by turning slightly to the right at 
that village from the road just described 
you ascend the valley, and at its head 
reach a low pass, Col de Mont Gilbert, 
by which Aiguebelle is reached in 5^- hrs. 
from Allevard. 

To Epierre. Three paths lead thither, 
but though the distance in a direct line 
is less than to Chamousset or Aigue- 
belle, from 6 to 7 hrs. are required. The 
easiest but most circuitous way is by 
La Rochette. The path mounts thence 



by the 1, bank of the Gelon, passing 
the hamlets of Presle and Verneil, 
turns to the SE. through a lateral 
valley, leading to the Col oVHerbarie- 
tan, and then descends to St. Pierre 
de Belleville, on the 1. bank of the 
Arc, about lj m. below Epierre, An- 
other path mounts from Arvillard 
in 20 min. to the hamlet of Moliex, 
and thence ascends the glen of the 
Soudron torrent to the Col de la Perche, 
2| hrs. from Arvillard. From the Col 
the easiest way is to descend the ravine 
to the NE., which leads in about 2 hrs. 
to St. Pierre de Belleville. Another 
and rather shorter way is to pass a 
second Col lying to the E. of the Col 
de la Perche, which leads direct to St 
Leger, a short distance above Epierre 
on the opposite or 1. bank of the Arc. 

To St. Remy. The most direct course 
from Allevard to the upper valley of 
the Arc is by the Col de la Freche, 
which leads by a tolerable path, practi- 
cable for mules, in 5 hrs. to St. Remy, 
on the 1. bank of the river, about half 
way between Epierre and La Chambre. 
From Arvillard the path follows the rt, 
bank of the Bens torrent for about 1 hr. 
to the Chartreuse de St. Hugon, 2h hrs. 
from Allevard, and often visited by 
strangers from the Baths. Keeping to 
the N. side of the valley, often called 
Combe de St. Hugon, the path reaches 
in J hr. farther the hamlet of Plan, and 
then, ascending by zigzags the moun- 
tain to the 1., attains the Col in 1 hr. 
from the Chartreuse. From the summit 
St. Remy is reached in 1| hr. of rapid 
descent. By a slight detour of less than 
\ hr. through wilder and more striking 
scenery the traveller may reach another 
pass — the Col oVArpingon — lying a 
short distance farther S. than the Col 
de la Freche. Both paths unite again 
a short distance above St. Remy. 



98 



SOUTH SAVOY ALPS. § 10. CHAMBERY DISTRICT. 



Route E. 

CHAMBERY TO TRIAGE ASCENT OF 

THE BELLEDONNE. 

64 kilometres =40 Eng. miles. 

A pedestrian might occupy two or 
three days very agreeably on the way 
from Chambery to Uriage, avoiding 
carriage-roads, and taking en route 
St. Pierre d'Entremont and the Grande 
Chartreuse (Rte. F). He might 
thence reach the valley of the Isere 
at Beinin or St. Ismier, cross the river 
to Domene, and follow a path which 
leads direct to Uriage. These who 
travel by carriage must follow the 
road of the 1. bank of the Isere (Rte. 
C) to the village of Gieres, within 
4 m. of Grenoble. The road to 
Uriage there turns abruptly to the 1. 
through the narrow gorge of the Son- 
nant. About half way, less than 2 m. 
from Gieres, the road crosses from the 
1. to the rt. bank of the stream, passes 
the hamlet of Sonnant, composed chiefly 
of cabarets and some remains of a 
ruined castle, and on reaching Uriage 
enters the court-yard or place of the 
Etablissement des Bains. This forms 
a square wherein stand the principal 
hotels — H. du Cercle ; Grand Hotel; 
Ancien Hotel; H. des Bains. Lodg- 
ings may be had in a building called 
Le Chalet, which is an appurtenance 
of the etablissement. Other lodging- 
houses and several second-rate hotels 
are to be found at a distance of nearly 
a mile from the Baths. 

Uriage (1,353 ), though its waters 
were known to the Romans, has become 
a convenient and attractive watering- 
place only within the last 20 years. 
Of the large number of visitors, some- 
times nearly 1,500, a large proportion 
come from the neighbouring town of 
Grenoble (7-3- in.), and from Lyons, 
easily reached by rly. The build- 
ings are handsome and convenient, 
especially the Cercle or subscription 
rooms, which include a very large 
saloon, billiard rooms, &c. The foun- 



tain is under a covered gallery, where 
water-drinkers may take exercise in 
bad weather. The Chateau d'Uri- 
age contains a collection of local anti- 
quities, some good pictures, and collec- 
tions of Natural History — all open to 
visitors. This belongs to M. de St. 
Ferreol, who is the proprietor of the 
entire place, and who has laid out 
large sums in improvements. Of the 
many excursions that may be made from 
Uriage, the following may be noticed : — 

The ascent of the Montague des 
Quatre Seigneurs (3,094'), The sum- 
mit, reached in 1^ hr., commands a 
fine view of the neighbouring country. 

The Cascade de VOursiere, at the 
foot of the Belledonne, often visited 
from Uriage, is distant 3| hrs. This 
may be taken in the ascent to the 
Chanrousse, or in that of the Belle- 
donne. 

The Chartreuse de Premol is in a 
fine position (3,593'); little now remains 
of this convent, once very considerable, 
but destroyed at the Revolution. It 
may be reached in if hr. from Uriage. 
J hr. from the Chartreuse is the Col de 
Premol, whence a path descends in 2 
hrs. to Sechilienne in the valley of the 
Romanche (§ 8). 

Vizille (§ 8, Rte. A) is reached by a 
carriage -road in 5 J m., passing Vaul- 
naveys, where are several inns and 
lodging-houses, frequented for the sake 
of economy by many of those who use 
the waters of Uriage. 

The ascent of the Chanrousse is often 
made by pedestrians who do not under- 
take the more difficult and laborious 
escalade of the Belledonne. The sum- 
mit (7,372') is marked by a cross, which 
from its great size is apt to mislead those 
who suppose themselves near to the 
top of the mountain. The view is very 
fine, but to the N. and NE. the pano- 
rama is closed by the higher summits 
of the Belledonne range. The easiest 
way is by the Chartreuse de Premol, 
If hr. — Thence to the top 3f hrs. A 
steeper and shorter way is by the 
Recoin, a gorge E. of the Baths of 
Uriage, by which the summit may be 



ROUTE E. — ASCENT OF THE BELLEDONNE. 



99 



reached in 4 J hrs. A longer but 
more interesting path is by the Cascade 
de l'Oursiere, and the Lac Robert — an 
Alpine lake traversed by a curious 
natural causeway. In descending from 
the summit by way of the Lac Robert, 
a traveller bound for Bourg d'Oisans 
may reach the Col des Escombailles in 
2 hrs. from the lake, and then descend 
in 1 hr. 40 min. to Livet in the valley 
of the Romanche, 8 m. from Bourg 
d'Oisans (§ 8, Rte. A). 

To a mountaineer the most interest- 
ing excursion to be made from Uriage 
is the ascent of the Belledonne. This 
may be reached by various paths, all 
of them rather steep, but none of them 
presenting serious obstacles. If made 
in one day, the expedition is long and 
fatiguing, and it is desirable to start 
before daylight. A good mule-path 
leads in 3j hrs. to the Cascade de 
l'Oursiere. The path then ascends 
through a pine forest to an Alpine pas- 
ture with a chalet, apparently walled in 
by a steep range of rocks. These, 
however, are climbed without much 
difficulty; above them is another chalet, 
the highest on this side of the moun- 
tain, where strangers, bent on the 
ascent, sometimes pass the night. This 
stands in the midst of a cirque, or 
natural amphitheatre, whence there 
is no exit save by a stiff climb up 
the rocks to the 1. A succession of 
small pools now lead to a mountain 
tarn of larger size, the Lac de Domenon, 
often frozen over throughout the sum- 
mer. The direct way to the top is 
by a steep slope of neve, which may, 
however, be avoided by a slight de- 
tour. In either case the traveller 
reaches a considerable snow-field nearly 
level, where in hot summers a small 
lake is sometimes formed. A far- 
ther ascent of ^ hr. now leads to the 
highest accessible peak of the moun- 
tain (9,780'), marked by a cross. The 
highest peak of all, which surpasses 
this by a few metres, is considered 
utterly inaccessible. With the slight 
drawback of the horizon being broken 
at this single point, the panorama is 

H 



magnificent, as might be expected from 
the position of the peak, the western- 
most high summit in the range of the 
Alps. 

A somewhat less laborious way than 
that just described is from the village 
of Revel, most easily reached from 
Domene (Rte. C) in the valley of the 
Isere. The track along the rt. bank 
of the Domenon torrent, ascending by 
the second path, which turns to the h 
(the first path is said to be too steep), 
leads in 1^ hr. from Domene to Bevel. 
Food and beds are found here chez 
Belot, traiteur. Mules may also be 
hired for the first 3 hrs. of the ascent, 
which conduct the traveller to the Lac 
du Crozet (6,457'), very finely placed in 
a gorge between the Grande Lance 
(9,246') and the Colon (7,851'). A steep 
ascent, not practicable for mules, 
leads thence to the Petit, and then to 
the Grand Lac de Domenon, at the 
latter of which this path joins that 
above described. The Lac du Crozet 
may also be reached direct from Lan- 
cey, on the high-road, 3 m. N. of 
Domene, through the Combe de Lan- 
cey. The Belledonne is also accessible 
from the valley of the Olle and from 
that of the Romanche; and an active 
pedestrian, starting very early, may 
take the summit in his way from 
Uriage to Bourg d'Oisans. Bearing to 
the S., a descent of f hr. from the top 
leads to a streamlet which descends 
into the Vallee du Baton between the 
Grande Lance and the Grande Vou 
dene. This stream is followed for a 
considerable distance until, on ap- 
proaching the verge of the deep gorge 
of Internet through which the Romanche 
runs, between the Taillefer and the 
range of the Belledonne, the Baton is 
left on the rt., and a track leads nearly 
due E., parallel to the course of the 
Romanche, until, in 4 J hrs. from the sum- 
mit, it descends into the valley a short 
distance from Sables, 5 m. from Bourg 
d'Oisans. The descent from the Belle- 
donne into the valley of the Olle is 
very steep and rapid. An active 
pedestrian may reach Articol y about 



100 



SOUTH SAVOY ALPS. § 10. CHAMBERY DISTRICT. 



$ hr. below Rivier (§ 8, Rte. D), in 
3 hrs. from the summit. 



Route F. 

CHAMBERY TO GRENOBLE, BY THE 
GRANDE CHARTREUSE. 

The celebrated monastery of the 
Grande Chartreuse stands about the 
centre of the range of limestone moun- 
tains that extend along the rt. bank of 
the Isere between Grenoble and Cham- 
bery. It is one of the few great monas- 
tic establishments that have survived 
the revolutions of the last century. Re- 
maining nearly in its original state, 
and with the primitive severity of its 
discipline unrelaxed, it still presents a 
living image of the institutions which 
had so great a part in forming the 
religious, intellectual, and social con- 
dition of Europe during the long period 
between the fall of the Roman Empire 
and the diffusion of printing. The inte- 
rest naturally attaching to the building 
is much enhanced by the beauty and 
singularity of the scenery which sur- 
rounds it. It is true that since railway 
trains have begun to carry holiday- 
seekers from Lyons and Grenoble to the 
not distant stations of Voiron and 
Voreppe, and a good road has been 
carried up to the very gate of the mo- 
nastery, those who come here intending 
for a moment to revert from the present 
to the past are liable to unexpected dis- 
enchantment. Such persons should 
choose for their visit the season of win- 
ter or early spring, when the commu- 
nity, undisturbed by visitors, have, in 
addition to the severity of their rule, to 
struggle against the rigour of the cli- 
mate. The lover of nature may at every 
season find the tranquillity which he 
desires, for, excepting the road from St. 
Laurent du Pont and the bridle-road 
from Grenoble by Sappey, the other 
approaches to the monastery herein in- 
dicated are rarely disturbed by the pre- 
sence of a stranger. 

As already intimated, the mountains 
of this range are, on the one hand, un- 



mistakeably connected with the Alps 
through the parallel range of the Belle- 
donne, while, on the other, they are 
linked to the Jura by the ridge of the 
Mont du Chat. Although much bolder 
and more imposing, the scenery has 
perhaps more of the character of the 
Jura than the Alps. As in the former 
range, the general outline is very uni- 
form, and the summits, which are in 
truth ridges rather than peaks, all lie 
nearly within the limits 6,300-6,800 Eng. 
ft. But this outward uniformity gives 
place to great variety and boldness of 
scenery in the interior of the valleys, 
which are for the most part clefts of 
variable width, walled in by steep rocks, 
often quite precipitous. The whole dis- 
trict is traversed by paths not seldom 
intricate and misleading, and the moun- 
taineer who may suppose that among 
ranges of such moderate height no 
especial precaution is necessary, is 
warned that local knowledge is more 
needed here than in the higher regions 
of the Alps. In the valleys, even where 
the path does not lie through pine-forest, 
the view is generally much restricted, 
while from the upper ridges a precipice 
more than 1,000 ft. in depth is often not 
suspected until the traveller has reached 
its very verge. 

A detailed account of the many 
routes that traverse this range, and the 
numerous excursions that may be made 
from the Grande Chartreuse, scarcely 
enters into the plan of this book. The 
more interesting of them are briefly 
noticed here. For further details the 
traveller may consult Joanne's * Guide 
to DauphineY Part I., or some of the 
numerous local Guides to be found at 
Chambery or Grenoble. 

It will be most convenient to notice 
separately the principal ways for reach- 
ing the Chartreuse from Chambery, and 
then the routes thence to Grenoble. 

1. Chambery to the Grande Chartreuse, 
by St.^ Laurent du Pont. 14^ miles to 
Les Echelles; 4^ hrs. or about 14 m. 
thence to the Chartreuse. About 5^ 
hrs. in a light carriage, exclusive of a 
1 halt at St. Laurent du Pont. 



ROUTE F. GRANDE CHARTREUSE. 



101 



The ridge of the Mont du Chat is to 
some extent continuous with the range 
of the Chartreuse, and though dimi- 
nished in height, it serves to form a con- 
tinuous barrier between the basin of 
Chambery and the plains of France. 
The lowest , point of this barrier is 
near to Les Echelies, but the natural 
difficulties of the passage were such, that 
until the completion of the new road and 
tunnel in 1815, the longer and steeper 
ascent of the Mont du Chat was the 
road ordinarily followed between France 
and Savoy. , From Chambery the 
road to Les Echelies, after passing the 
village of Cognin, follows the upward 
course of the Hitre, which flows from 
the SW. The basin of Chambery gra- 
dually contracts, until, at the village of 
St Thibaud de Coux, the road fairly 
enters the defile leading to the pass, be- 
tween the Mont Grelle (4,649'), belong- 
ing to the range of the Mont du Chat, 
and the Cochette, directly connected 
with the Grande Chartreuse group. In 
less than 4 m. of gentle ascent the road 
reaches the summit of the pass which, 
from the name of the small village that 
stands at the top, is called Col de St. 
Jean de Coux, 2,040 ft. above the sea. 
From the village, just 10 m. from Cham- 
bery, the descent commences through a 
natural cleft in the limestone rock, until 
the road enters a tunnel about 340 yards 
in length. At the opposite end a re- 
markable view suddenly presents itself. 
The tunnel has been bored through a 
great wall of limestone, and the W. end 
issues at about 850 ft. above the valley of 
the Guiers, which is backed by the higher 
mountains of the Chartreuse range. 
After descending a part of the way to- 
wards Les Echelies, the apparent im- 
possibility of carrying a road across the 
formidable wall of rock that bars the 
passage is more striking than from 
above. The ancient route lay in part 
through a cavern, which was at the same 
time the channel of a stream, and which 
was reached on the W. side by ladders 
fixed to the rocks. In 1670 Charles 
Emmanuel, Duke of Savoy, achieved 
the construction of a new road passable 



for chars ; though long abandoned, it 
still exists, very rough and difficult, but 
worth a visit by a pedestrian. The 
present road and tunnel were com- 
menced by Napoleon, and completed in 
1815 bv the Piedmontese Government. 

Les Echelies (Inns : Lion d'Or ; St. Jean) 
derives its name from the ladders that 
gave access to the above-mentioned 
ancient passage. The village stands on 
both banks of the Guiers, which has 
here united the two streams — Guiers 
Vif and Guiers Mort — that drain the 
larger portion of the Grande Chartreuse 
range. 

[From Les Echelies the high-road to 
Lyons, little used since the opening of 
the rly., leads in 9 J m. along the Guiers 
to Pont de Beauvoisin (Rte. G). About 
half way the road is carried at a consi- 
derable height above the stream through 
the defile of La Chaille, and on 
emerging from it gains an admirable 
view over the richly cultivated undu- 
lating country to the NW.] 

Following up the stream of the Guiers 
Mort, it is little more than 4 m. from Les 
Echelies to St. Laurent du Pont, where 
there are several inns, at which vehicles 
or mules may be hired. ^ hr. from the 
village is the narrow cleft that allows 
the stream to escape from its mountain 
birth-place, and at the same time affords 
the only easy access to the retreat which 
for so many centuries has been inha- 
bited by the followers of St. Bruno. A 
gate formerly closed the road, and held 
guard over all communication between 
them and the outer world. For 1 hr. 
the road is carried along the 1. bank of 
the Guiers Mort through scenery which, 
if not of the grandest character, is wild 
and impressive. At the Pont de St. 
Bruno the stream is crossed, and here 
the new road begins. The work pre- 
sented considerable engineering diffi- 
culties, and involved the construction of 
three tunnels ; but whatever other ad- 
vantages it may possess, it has certainly 
deprived the monastery of a portion of 
the charm which it formerly owned over 
the imagination of the poet and the 
artist. Turning to the 1., the road quits 



102 



SOUTH SAVOY ALPS. § 10. CHAMBERY DISTRICT. 



the valley of the Guiers, and mounts 
towards the N. till it enters an upland 
basin, in great part clothed with pine 
forest, and overhung on the E. side 
by the mural precipices of the Grand 
Soin. In the centre of this solitude is 
the pile of buildings that form the 
monastery. In this, the parent house 
of the Carthusian order, the original 
rule is observed in all its severity. The 
monks never eat meat, and their diet 
is at all times of the most frugal kind ; 
they rise at midnight for prayer, and 
their lives are passed between the church 
and manual labour. Excepting those 
whose office requires intercourse with 
strangers, they never speak save on 
special and rare occasions, and their 
only recreation is to walk within certain 
specified bounds near the monastery. 
Strangers are received by one of the 
monks appointed for that duty, and 
twice in the day they are conducted to 
see the church and the rest of the build- 
ing. Their dietary includes fish and eggs, 
but no meat. The beds are rough, but 
quite clean. Without special permission 
no stranger is allowed to remain more 
than two nights. On leaving, a moderate 
payment is made by each person. As 
no women are allowed within the walls 
of the monastery, ladies are forced to 
remain at an outer building, where it is 
said that they find but indifferent ac- 
commodation. 

The scenery surrounding the monas- 
tery is fine enough to make the place 
interesting, apart from any special asso- 
ciations. To the botanist this neigh- 
bourhood is made attractive by the 
presence of several species which are 
elsewhere rare or quite unknown in the 
Alpine chain — e.g. Hypericum nummu- 
larium, Erinus Alpinus, &c. 

The most interesting excursion for 
the mountaineer is the ascent of the 
Grand Som (6,660'). This involves a 
considerable detour, for every apparent 
short-cut in the direction of the summit 
leads to the base of the formidable pre- 
cipices that form its W. face. Half an 
hour's walk from the monastery is the 
Chapelle de St. Bruno, erected on the 



supposed site of his original hermitage. 
About 2 hrs. more suffice to reach 
the summit. The view is fine, and 
the expedition presents great variety 
of scenery within comparatively narrow 
hounds. Among other interesting plants 
the botanist will observe Potentilla ni- 
tida. 

Less than 2 hrs. suffice for the return 
to the monastery. 

2. Chambery to the Grande Chartreuse, 
by the Col de la Buchere. This way is 
somewhat longer than that above de- 
scribed, and the scenery, though fine, is 
in itself less striking; but it has the ad- 
vantage of approaching the monastery 
by an unfrequented path away from the 
ordinary track of visitors. From Les 
Echelles the char-road along the Guiers 
is followed for 1 hr. 40 min. to Riou- 
bregond, whence a foot path leads in 
20 min. to the hamlet of La Euchere. 
An ascent of 1^ hr. now suffices to 
reach the Col de la Buchere, about 
4,600 ft. in height, commanding a very 
fine view of the neighbouring moun- 
tains. A descent of 20 min. leads from 
the Col to the Vacherie, where the cows 
of the monastery are kept ; J hr. farther 
is the Chapelle de St.Bruno ; and another 
J hr. — 4 hrs. 50 min. from Les Echelles 
— conducts the traveller to the monas- 
tery. 

3. Chambery to the Grande Char- 
treuse, by St. Pierre d'Entremont. St 
Pierre oVEntremont is a village finely 
situated in the valley of the Guiers Vif, 
with an inn chez Paquet. It may be 
reached in about 2^- hrs.' walking from 
Les Echelles, but a pedestrian will prefer 
some one of several mountain paths that 
lead thither in 5 or 6 hrs/ walk from 
Chambery. The most interesting is by 
the Col de Frene, immediately NW. of 
the Mont Granier. The ascent of that 
peak (Ete. B) might easily be included 
in the day's walk. [An interesting ex- 
cursion may be made from St. Pierre to 
the source of the Guiers Yif. An hour's 
walk from the village, at the hamlet of 
Mesme, it is- necessary to take a guide, 
with a ladder and lights, by which to 
gain access to the cavern whence the 



ROUTE G. AI< 

torrent issues. A rough path leads to 
the Col de Valfroide, and thence, by 
a very steep and rather difficult de- 
scent, to the valley of the Isere near 
to Le Touvet (lite. B), which in 
this way is 5 J hrs. distant from St. 
Pierre.] The Grande Chartreuse is 
easily reached in 3 h hrs. from St. Pierre 
d'Entremont by the Col de Bovinant. 

( 1 ) Grande Chartreuse to Grenoble, by 
Voiron or Voreppe. The easiest route 
to Grenoble is to return by the road to 
St. Laurent du Pont, 1^ lir. in a car- 
riage, descending the valley. Thence 
an agreeable drive of 10 m. through 
very pleasing scenery leads to Voiron 
(Inns : H. du Midi; H. du Commerce; 
H. du Cours; H. de la Poste), a station 
on the rly. from Lyons to Grenoble, 
about 16 m. from the latter city. There 
are 5 trains daily in 45 min. A pedes- 
trian may shorten the way from St. 
Laurent to Voiron by following a path 
through a cleft, called Le Petit Cros- 
sey. 

There is another road from St. Lau- 
rent, leading in about 11 m. to the 
Voreppe station, only about 9 m. by 
rly. from Grenoble. 

(2 ) Grande Chartreuse to Grenoble, by 
the Col de la Cochette. This way is 
little frequented, though decidedly more 
interesting than that by Sappey. It 
being easy to take a wrong turn in the 
pine forest, it is advisable to hire a guide. 
About 2j hrs. are required to reach the 
Col de la Cochette, which is a narrow 
cleft in a ridge of limestone rocks. 
A walk of l£ hr., for the most part 
through a noble pine forest, now leads 
to a second and lower pass— Col de la 
Charmette (about 3,940') — whence there 
is a rather long descent of 3j hrs. to St. 
Robert, the last station on the rly. to 
Grenoble, only 4 \ m. from the city. 

(3) Grande Chartreuse to Grenoble, by 
Sappey, 6 hrs.' walk or ride. This is 
perhaps the least interesting of the 
various tracks leading to the monastery, 
but, being a perfectly easy and safe 
bridle-path, it is, with the exception of 
the road from St. Laurent du Pont, by 
many degrees the most frequented 



GUEBELLETTE. 103 

approach. About a mile from the 
Grande Chartreuse is a large building 
called La Courrerie, a dependency of 
the monastery, containing a printing 
office and various other appurtenances. 
J hr. farther the path passes through a 
narrow defile, where a gateway, called 
L'Entree du Desert, marks the boun- 
dary of the Chartreuse. On the way to 
the hamlet of Cottaves, the track passes 
below a very ancient village, St. Pierre 
de Chartreuse, which originally gave 
its name to the monastery. In about 
3 hrs. from the monastery the traveller 
reaches the highest point of the route 
at the Col de la Porte (4,436'), and 
in f hr. more attains 

Sappey (Inn : A l'Arrivee des Tour- 
istes), a small village where visitors 
and their guides usually halt for re- 
freshment. In ljhr. from hence the 
summit of Chamechaude (6,847'), the 
highest point of the Grande Chartreuse 
range, is reached without difficulty. 
From Sappey to Grenoble the descent 
through a depression between the Mont 
Rachais and the Mont St. Eynard is 
long (2 to 1\ hrs.), and for the most 
part uninteresting. At 1 hr. from 
Sappey is a house called La Maison 
Pilon, where, although it is not an inn, 
tourists mounting from Grenoble often 
breakfast better than at Sappey. On 
approaching Grenoble, some fine views 
are gained over the valley of Graisi- 
vaudan and the higher ranges of the 
Dauphine Alps. 

Three other paths leading from the 
Grande Chartreuse to St. Ismier and 
Bernin in the valley of the Isere are 
noticed in Rte. B. 



Route G. 

CHAMBERY TO PONT DE BEAUVOISIN, 
BY AIGUEBELLETTE. 

Mule-path in 7 hrs. 

Between the Dent du Chat (Rte. A) 
and the high-road from Chambery to 
Les Echelles, the prolongation of the 
ridge of the Mont du Chat, called Moni 



104 



SOUTH SAVOY ALPS. § 10. CHAMBERY DISTRICT. 



de VEpine, maintains an average height 
of about 4,000 feet. On the W. side of 
the watershed, at a height of 500 or 600 
ft. above the level of the Guiers and the 
Rhone, is an extensive plateau, the 
southern portion of which is occupied 
by the lake of Aic:uebellette. The direct 
way from Chambery to Pont de Beau- 
voisin lies by the shores of the lake, and 
it is one of the many agreeable excur- 
sions available to a pedestrian in this 
part of Savoy. 

Beyond Cognin, 1^ m. from Cham- 
bery, a path mounts in 40 min. to Vi- 
mine (Via Minima), and from thence 
follows the line of the ancient Roman 
road, very rough and not passable for 
horses, till in 2\ hrs. from the city it 
attains the Col d'Aiguebellette (2,995'), 
commanding an admirable view of the 
basin of Chambery, the Lake of Bourget, 
and the ranges of the Savoy Alps. The 
Col is accessible by a char-road from 
Chambery, which makes a considerable 
detour by the village of St. Sulpice. 
[From the same village another road 
practicable for chars mounts by zigzags 
to the NW., passes the Mont de l'Epine 
by a col about 3,300 ft. in height, 
descends to Novalaise, a village where 
many Roman medals and inscriptions 
have been found, thence bears due N. 
to Marcieux, and follows the Flon torrent 
to Yenne on the Rhone, at the W. base 
of the Col du Mont du Chat.] The 
char-road descends in § hr. from the 
Col d'Aiguebellette to the miserable 
village of the same name, where a very 
poor inn (Cheval Blanc) affords scanty 
entertainment. During the descent the 
road commands very pleasing views 
of the Lake of Aiguebellette. This tran- 
quil sheet of water is about 2^ m. in 
length, and 1 J m. wide ; on its shores, 
and upon an island, are various vestiges 
of the Roman occupation of this district. 
A low ridge is crossed between Aigue- 
bellette and the equally poor village of 
Lepin, both surrounded by magnificent 
walnut trees. From the latter village 
the path follows the shore, and thence 
descends along the Tier torrent, which 
drains the lake, as far as the village of 



i?Wcfo?Ve, nearly 2 hrs. from Aiguebellette. 
To reach the valley of the Guiers, it is 
now necessary to descend a steep es- 
carpment of limestone, which is a con- 
tinuation towards the N. of that pierced 
by the tunnel above Les Echelles. The 
main track makes a circuit, but there is 
a shorter foot-path, which descends the 
face of the rock by steep and narrow 
ledges. From the base of the rocks the 
path passes through a rich tract and 
over a low wooded hill to^Dormessin, on 
the high-road from Les Echelles, \\ m. 
from 

Pont de Beauvoisin (Inns : La Poste, 
very good ; H. des Courriers ; Parfaite 
Union), formerly the frontier town be- 
tween France and Savoy on the main 
road to Chambery. Those who have 
come hither from Chambery by the 
above route, or by Les Echelles, may 
prolong an agreeable excursion by fol- 
lowing the road along the rt. bank of 
the Guiers to St. Genix (PAosie (Inn : 
chez Labully, looks comfortable), once 
an important Roman station, near the 
junction of the Guiers with the Rhone. 
Thence a road is carried along the 
E. or 1. bank of the Rhone, at some 
distance from the stream, and in 10 
m. reaches La Balme, a village lying 
at the base of a range of precipitous 
rocks, pierced by many grottos, or 
bahnes, and connected by a suspension 
bridge with the opposite bank of the 
Rhone, on the site of an ancient bridge, 
probably of Roman origin. Nearly 
opposite is an isolated rock about 500 
feet above the river, surmounted by the 
Fort of Pierre Castel. The original 
building was a Carthusian monastery, 
which was seized at the Revolution, and 
has since served as a prison and fortress. 
The view of the valley of the Rhone 
from the hill above the Fort (about 
1 br.'s walk) is extremely fine. 2 m. 
from La Balme is Yenne (Inns : Clef 
d'Or; Rose Couronnee. 'The inn at 
Yenne very good and comfortable,though 
rather dear.' — E. L.), a small town on 
the Rhone which, after escaping from 
the marshes near Culoz that occupy the 
depression between the Mont Colombier 



ROUTE H. BEAUGES MOUNTAINS. 



105 



and the Mont du Chat (Rte. A), flows 
to the S. along the W. flank of the latter 
ridge. Yenne is about 7 m. from the 
Col du Mont du Chat (lite. A), whereby 
Chambery is distant 33 kilometres = 
20j Eng. miles. 



Route H. 

AIX LES BAINS TO CHATELARD — 
BEAUGES MOUNTAINS. 

As stated in the introduction to this 
section, the Beauges mountains consist 
of a series of parallel ridges running 
from NNE. to SSW., bounded to the N. 
by the Lake of Annecy and the valley 
of the Eau Morte. to the S. by the basin 
of Chambery, and cut through in the 
midst by the valley of the Cheran. 
These ridges form a distinct district, 
which has preserved from very early 
times its own peculiar manners and 
customs, and where even now, with the 
exception of an occasional naturalist, 
strangers are rarely seen. Possessing 
unusually fine pastures, the district 
abounds in cattle, and cheese is its chief 
product. Excepting in the chief village, 
Chatelard, the population is dispersed 
in small communities or clans, which 
have a system of internal self-govern- 
ment essentially republican ; the general 
manager, the head dairy-woman, and 
the chief herdsman being elected by 
the clan. An excursion of 2 or 3 
days from Aix or Annecy to Chatelard, 
and from thence by some one of the 
passes that lead to Chambery, will 
interest a traveller curious to observe 
the primitive customs of a secluded 
people. It is said, however, that within 
the last few years increased communi- 
cation with the outer world has begun 
to modify the traditional existence of 
the district. A char-road leads from 
Aix les Bains to Chatelard, and there 
are several mountain paths, which are 
briefly noticed below. 

1. Aix to Chatelard by Cusy. Char- 
road. 6^- hrs.' walking. — About 2 
m. from Aix is the village of Gresy 



sur Aix, near to which is a pretty 
waterfall, one of the chief resorts of 
visitors. Beyond the village the road 
gradually ascends along the Sierroz 
stream to an undulating plateau, where 
(3 hrs, from Aix) stands the village of 
Cusy. To the N., on a rock washed 
by the Cheran, are the extensive ruins 
of an ancient castle. The road, which 
has hitherto been directed to the NE., 
now makes a sharp turn to the SE., 
ascending along the 1. bank of the 
Cheran. On the opposite bank are 
seen the hamlet of Aiguebellette and 
the castle of St. Jacques. Here three 
singular peaks, or rather obelisks, of 
rock rise abruptly from the valley, 
standing side by side, with an interval 
of but a few yards between them. The 
road is still carried along the 1. bank at 
a considerable height above the river, 
and about 4^ m. beyond Cusy passes 
opposite the village of All eves. 2 hrs. 
from Cusy the Cheran is crossed by a 
very ancient bridge — Pont de Bange — 
the foundations of which are said to be 
of Roman construction, and thencefor- 
ward the road keeps to the rt. bank of 
the stream. [A road along the rt. bank 
of the Cheran leads in 5j hrs. from the 
Pont de Bange by Alleves and Mures 
to Alby, on the road from Aix to An- 
necy (§ 12).] Not far from the bridge, 
where the road is hemmed in between 
the rocks and the stream, is the entrance 
to the Grotte de Bange> a cavern which 
contains a subterranean lake, 216 feet 
below the level of the entrance, and ap- 
proached by a gallery about 270 yards 
in length. The lake appears to be 
about 100 yards in circumference, but 
it has never been thoroughly explored. 
Leaving on the 1. hand the new road 
leading by the Col de Leschaux (Rte. 
L) to Annecy, the road to Chatelard 
crosses the torrent which descends from 
that pass by the Pont de la Charnia, 
leaves on the rt. hand a bridge over the 
Cheran leading to the village of Les 
Cheraines, and in lj- hr. from the Pont 
de Bange reaches 

Chatelard (hm: chez Lubin), a village 
2,500 feet above the sea, composed of a 



106 SOUTH SAVOY ALPS. § 



10. CHAMBER Y DISTRICT. 



single long street backed by a steep 
escarpment of rocks. On the opposite 
side of the valley rises the steep ridge 
of the Rosanne, and to the SE. opens 
the picturesque upper valley of the 
Cheran. A very tine view of the valley 
and the surrounding mountains is ob- 
tained from the ancient castle, standing 
on a rock above the village. This is 
most easily reached by following the 
road up the valley, which descends to 
the level of the river, and crosses to its 
rt. bank. ^ hr. from the village there 
is a second bridge, which recrosses the 
Cheran, and leads to a shady path as- 
cending from the 1. bank of the stream 
to the castle, J hr. from Chatelard. 

2. By the Col de Prabarno and Saint 
Offenge. Mule-path in 5\ hrs. — Nearly 

2 hrs. from Aix, on the road to Cusy, 
a mule-path turns to the rt., crosses the 
Sierroz, and traverses the villages of 
St. Offenge- Dessous and St. Offenge- 
Dessus. From thence a steep and stony 
path leads up to the Col de Prabarno, 

3 hrs. from Aix, commanding a fine 
view of the Lake of Bourget to the W. 
and the Lake of Annecy to the NE. 
The path descending from the Col 
winds amidst rich pastures, passing 
some chalets and the hamlet of Mon- 
tagny, to Arith (Inn: chez Mouchet 
Laurent), a rather large village over 
looking the valley of the Cheran. A 
steep descent leads to a bridge over the 
lateral stream of the Noyer, and soon 
after to the Pont de les Cheraines, from 
whence it takes 15 min. to gain the 
road to Chatelard, which is 2\ hrs. from 
the Col. 

3. By the Col de la Cochetta. 5^ hrs. 
— The Col de la Cochetta is a notch 
sharply cut into a rocky ridge about 
\ m. farther S. than the Col de Pra- 
barno. The approach to it on both 
sides is somewhat longer and steeper. 
It may be reached from Aix by the 
village of Trevignin, or else by the road 
leading from Gresy to Cusy, taking a 
path which leaves on the 1. the two 
villages of St. Offenge, and passes the 
hamlets of Crosel, Gonard, and Coral 
Vaulier. On the E. side of the Col it 



joins the path from the Col de Prabarno 
at the hamlet of Montagny. 

4. By the Pas de la Clme. 5 \ hrs. — 
A bridle-path leading E. from Aix, and 
ultimately mounting through a wooded 
ravine, attains in nearly 1 hr. (ascending) 
the village of Trevignin. About 2 m. 
farther is Decampoux, the highest ham- 
let. From hence the path winds for a 
considerable distance round the head of 
the glen, whose torrent joins the Sierroz 
below St. Offenge, partly over a rocky 
slope, partly through woods. The 
highest point is passed in traversing a 
ridge of rock before reaching the pass. 
In following this route from Chatelard 
to Aix it is necessary to avoid a path 
which descends the glen towards the 
Sierroz, as that involves a considerable 
detour. Nearly 3 hrs. from Aix are 
required to reach the Pas de la Cluse^ a 
depression between grass-grown rounded 
knolls, that leads into the valley of 
the Noyer, one of the affluents of the 
Cheran. A few minutes below the pass 
is a chalet with a spring, and before 
long the path gains a point where it 
overlooks the valley of the Noyer and 
the principal ranges of the Beauges. 
Exactly opposite is the ridge of the 
Margeria (5,909') ; beyond it to the 1. 
is the Rosanne, between Aillon and 
Chatelard; then the Cime de Bellevaux 
and the Mont Trelod. The path de- 
scends gradually, winding at mid-height 
along the side of the valley. In little 
more than 1 hr. it reaches Arith, and in 
2 J hrs. Chatelard. 



Route I. 

CHATELARD TO CHAMBERY. 

The Beauges mountains are traversed 
in ail directions by paths for the most 
part of no difficulty. It is therefore 
easy to multiply the routes which a tra- 
veller may, if so minded, discover for 
himself. It will be sufficient here to 
indicate the more interesting paths. 

1. By the Col de Plain Palais. 6i 
hrs.' walking. A char-road. — From the 



ROUTE I. CHATELARD TO CHAMBER Y. 



107 



Pont de les Cheraines, about f hr. below 
Chatelard, the char-road mounts to the 
village of the same name at the opening 
of the valley of the Noyer. A road 
runs along both banks of the stream ; 
that of the S. side, or the rt. bank, is 
the better for vehicles. On that side is 
the village of Noyer (2,713'), 1 hr. from 
Les Cheraines, 2 hrs. from Chatelard. 
In following the road of the 1. bank, the 
traveller passes near the remains of a 
Roman aqueduct, partly cut into the 
rock, known to the natives as La Creche. 
1 hr. ascending from Noyer suffices to 
reach the Col de Plain Palais (3,717')- 
A gentle descent of 40 min. leads to 
the village of Desert, standing on a 
plateau between the Mont Margeria 
and the Dent de Nivolet. Either sum- 
mit may be reached from here, but the 
ascent of the former is said to be from 
this side difficult and dangerous, while 
the view is decidedly inferior to that from 
the lower, but better situated, Dent de 
Nivolet. The road descending along 
the rt. bank of the torrent, round 
the base of the rocks of Chaffardon, in 
1 hr. 50 min. from the Col reaches St. 
Jean dArvey, and in 3|- hrs., passing 
through very agreeable scenery along the 
rt. bank of the Laisse, attains Chambery. 

2. By the Valley of Aillon and Thoiry. 
5j hrs. — Nearly opposite to Chatelard 
is the opening of the picturesque Vallee 
d Aillon. The road crosses the Cheran 
a little below the village, and after 
passing several small hamlets reaches 
in 1 hr. Aillon le Vieux, standing at the 
W. base of the Rosanne. 1 hr. farther is 
the highest village, Aillon le Jeune. Here 
the direct way to Chambery lies to the 
rt., or SSW., through a short glen, and 
in \ hr. reaches the Col des Pres. The 
track then winds along the side of 
the mountain, and in 1 hr. reaches 
the village of Thoiry, and then crossing 
the valley and the torrent which de- 
scends from Desert, joins the carriage- 
road close to St. Jean dArvey. 

3. By the Chartreuse d Aillon and the 
Col de Landar. 1\ hrs. — Above the 
village of Aillon le Jeune, 2 hrs from 
Chatelard, a narrow defile, wherein are 



seen some remains of ancient forges, 
opens to the E. After \ hr. the prin- 
cipal track turns to the S., leading 
towards Chrmbery, while another path 
to the 1 is the entrance to the Combe 
de la Chartreuse dAillon. This is an 
enclosure formed by steep mountain 
ridges, a natural trough, with this 
single opening, so narrow that it was 
formerly closed by a gate. The only 
other access is by a difficult pass — Col 
de Feille — leading to the upper valley of 
the Cheran. In this secluded spot for- 
merly stood the Chartreuse d Aillon, a 
monastery founded in 1184, once rich 
and extensive, now utterly a ruin. It 
might, however, repay the visit of a 
competent antiquary. The rich pastures 
of the valley produce a kind of cheese, 
called vacherin, which is much es- 
teemed. 

Returning to the point where the 
paths diverge, 1 hr. suffices to reach 
the Col de Landar, lying E. of the 
pointed summit of the Mont Ga- 
loppaz, a peak commanding a very 
fine view of the valley of the Isere. 
The picturesque village of La Thuile 
lies 1 hr. below the Col, at the N, 
foot of a ridge which on the S. side 
immediately overlooks Montmelian. 
From thence it is a walk of 3 hrs. to 
Chambery, along the 1. bank of the 
Laisse torrent, passing the village of the 
same name about 7 m. below La Thuile. 
It is also possible to descend along the 
rt. bank of the Laisse by the village of 
Puisgros, from whence the ascent of the 
Galoppaz may be made in 3 hrs. In 
the ascent the botanist may find Lactuca 
Plumieri, Tozzia alpina, Tulipa celsiana, 
and other rare plants. 

4. By St. Pierre dAlbiyny. 4| hrs. 
by char-road to St. Pierre ; railway to 
Chambery 15 m. — Though a consi- 
derable detour, this is the easiest way 
to reach Chambery from Chatelard. By 
taking the short-cuts a pedestrian may 
much abridge the distance. From 
Chatelard the road descends to the level 
of the Cheran, and crosses to its 1. bank, 
reaching in 45 min. the pretty village 
of Ecole, at the junction of two lateral 



108 



SOUTH SAVOY ALPS. § 



10. CHAMBER Y DISTRICT. 



valleys with the main torrent of the 
Cheran. The road mounts nearly due 
S. through the rt. hand valley, and in 
2 hrs. from Chatelard passes Sainte 
Heine, the highest village. An ascent 
of J hr. leads to the Col du Frene, which 
commands a very fine view of the valley 
of the Isere and the ranges beyond it ; 
the road descends in long zigzags, but 
a pedestrian may avoid these, and so 
reach in 1 hr. St. Pierre d'Albigny. 
The station for the rly. to Montmelian 
and Chambery is rather more than a 
mile from the village. By this route a 
pedestrian may easily reach Chatelard 
from Chambery in 5 hrs. 



Route K. 

CHATELARD TO ALBERTVILLE. 
6 hrs. 

The road from Chatelard to St. Pierre 
d'Albigny turns aside from the valley of 
the Cheran at Ecole (see last Rte.). Fol- 
lowing up the main valley from that 
village, the traveller reaches its termina- 
tion at the ruins of the Benedictine priory 
of Bellavaux, standing at the junction 
of three mountain torrents. Following 
that which mounts towards SSW., he 
may reach the Col de la Chacette, from 
whence a foot-path descends in steep 
zigzags to Fretterive, on the old road 
from St. Pierre to Albertville. A more 
direct way lies through the wild glen 
which descends nearly due W. to the 
ruins of the priory, called Combe de 
Bellavaux. After crossing the torrent 
several times, the path reaches the chalet 
of Chafuinet, where it divides. The 1. 
hand path mounts to a pass called 
Croix de Veraisse, leading NE. by the 
village of Seitenex to Faverges, 6 hrs. 
from Chatelard. The way to Albertville 
mounts by the rt. hand path to the pass 
of Haul du Four, from whence it descends 
to Verrens, and in 6 hrs. from Chatelard 
reaches Albertville (§ 12). 



Route L. 

CHATELARD TO ANNECY. 

A new and direct road has been for 
some time in course of construction, and 
is probably now completed; but to a 
pedestrian, either of the two mountain- 
paths indicated below will be found 
more interesting: — 

1. By the Col de Leschaux. Char-road 
6 hrs.' walking. — As far as the Pont de 
la Charnia, f hr. from Chatelard, this 
route follows the main road on the 
rt. bank of the Cheran (Rte. H). The 
road to Annecy here turns to the NE., 
ascending along the rt. bank of the 
Leschaux torrent. A slight detour by 
the old road on the opposite bank leads 
to the Pont du Diable, a bridge thrown 
over the torrent at a point where it has 
cut a deep and narrow cleft through the 
rock. Passing the village of Glapigny, 
2J hrs.' steady walking will lead to the 
summit of the pass, on either side of 
which are portions of the scattered vil- 
lage of Leschaux. The church (3,047') 
stands close to the top of the Col. The 
highest point of the long ridge of the 
Mont Semnoz, NNW. of Leschaux, may 
be reached in I J hr. from the village. 
The height, though only about 5,900 ft., 
suffices to give an extremely fine pano- 
ramic view of the Savoy Alps. It is 
possible to descend from the summit to 
Annecy, but a local guide is required. 
From the Col the road descends for 
about li| hr., gaining on the way some fine 
views over the Lake of Annecy, and then 
reaching the level of the plain, joins the 
road from Albertville (§12) along the 
W. shore of the lake, near the village of 
St. Jorio, 1^ hr. distant from Annecy. 

2. By the Col d'Entrev ernes. — In 
ascending to Leschaux from the Pont 
de la Charnia, about £ hr. above the 
bridge, a path turns ofT to the rt. at the 
hamlet of Entreves, leading to Belle- 
combe, and thence to the Col d'En- 
trevernes, a low pass at the head of a 
glen containing the single small village 
of Entr ever nes. The mule-path which 



§11. TARENTAISE ALPS. 



109 



crosses the Col joins the road to Annecy 
at Duingt, the most picturesque point 
on the shores of the lake. , 

3. By the Col de Cher el— At Ecole, 
in the upper valley of the Cheran (Rte. 
I), a valley opens towards the NE. ,which 
leads by the village of Jarsy to the Col 
de Cherel, between the Mont Trelod and 
the Rocher d'Arealin. The first-named 
mountain is sometimes ascended for the 
sake of the view, and is interesting to 
the botanist for the rare plants, such as 
Cephalaria Alpina, Pedicularis Barre- 
lieri, &c, that have been found there. 
From the Col the glen descends nearly 
due N. to Chevaline and Doussard, vil- 
lages standing near the S. end of the Lake 
of Annecy, and close to the road which 
runs along its western bank (§ 12, Rte. B). 



SECTION 11. 

TARENTAISE DISTEICT. 

The name Tarentaise properly belongs 
to the upper valley of the Isere, above 
Hopital Conflans, with its tributary 
valleys. The most considerable of these 
— the valley of the Doron— -drains most 
of the higher summits of the range of 
high Alps separating the Isere from 
the Arc. The first of these rivers rises 
on the N. side of the Col d'iserart, 
while the principal source of the Arc is 
close to the southern side of the same 
pass, and both streams unite at Cha- 
mousset, about 45 m. in a direct line 
W. of the Col. The Alpine group in 
question is therefore perfectly defined, 
and connected with the main range of 
the Graian Alps only at a single point 
by the isthmus-like ridge of the Col 
d'Iseran. It is to this group, and to the 
main valley of the Isere, from Chamous- 
set to its source, that we restrict the 
present section, under the denomination 
Tarentaise district ; the greater* part of 
it being included in that province of 
Savoy. From its source to Aiguebelle, 



near to its junction with the Isere, the 
Arc describes a semicircle whose diameter 
is about 40 m. in length. The Isere, 
on the contrary, in the interval between 
its source and the junction, forms a 
tolerably regular zigzag, or reversed w, 
whose re-entering angle, where stands 
the town of Moutiers, is pretty near to 
the centre of the semicirc'e formed by 
the Arc. The direction of these succes- 
sive joints of the valley of the Isere 
appears to be intimately connected with 
the forces that have elevated this portion 
of the Alps; but as regards the position 
of the principal peaks, and the direction 
of the secondary valleys, no part of the 
Alps shows so little trace of regularity 
as this district. The reason may pro- 
bably be that it is mainly composed of 
slightly altered sedimentary rocks, which 
ha ve yielded so extensively to the action 
of the elements, and especially that of 
ice, as to preserve little trace of their 
original conformation. 

The higher portions of the Taren- 
taise Alps have hitherto been very 
imperfectly known, and very ill de- 
picted in the general maps published by 
the War Department at Turin. Even in 
Joanne's 4 Guide to Savoy,' the latest and 
best work upon this part of the Alps, 
to which the editor is indebted for much 
useful information in regard to the 
more accessible districts, the errors of 
preceding writers have been repeated, 
and in some respects aggravated. 
Without adverting to the singular 
series of errors by which a peak which 
has no real existence came to be repre- 
sented on nearly all existing maps, and 
to have ascribed to it a height exceed- 
ing 13,000 feet (see Rte. B), it suffices 
to say that the highest summit properly 
belonging to the Tarentaise has been 
placed on the maps in a completely false 
position, and under a name (Aiguille 
de la Vanoise) by which it is unknown 
to the natives of the district. It is to 
the enterprise and perseverance of Mr. 
William Mathews, jun., a well-known 
member of the Alpine Club, that we 
owe the first accurate account of the 
higher peaks of this group. In addition 



110 



SOUTH SAVOY ALPS. §11. TAREXTAISE DISTRICT. 



to his valuable paper in 1 Peaks, Passes, 
and Glaciers,' the editor has received 
from that gentleman further important 
information, obtained by him in a sub- 
sequent visit to the same district, during 
which he reached the highest summit 
of the Mont Pourri. It is now known 
that the culminating point of this group 
is the Grande Casse{ 12,7800, lying NE. 
of the Col de la Vanoise ; next in height 
is the Mont Pourri (i 2,4 91 f ), between 
the Val Pesey and Ste. Poi ; while the 
third peak is the DentParassee ( 12, 1 37'), 
W. of Termignon. The two first have 
been ascended by Mr. Mathews; the 
last has not yes been attained, though 
probably not very difficult of access. 
The accommodation available for 
strangers in this district is but indif- 
ferent, and is especially bad at the head 
of the valley of the Isere, which would 
infallibly become one of the favourite 
resort- of mountaineers if decent quar- 
ters were to be found there. The oc- 
casional passage of strangers has as yet 
produced no other effect than to create 
a general desire to extract as large a 
sum as possible from the pocket of the 
next traveller. Though the inn is far 
from good, Pralognan is, on the whole, 
the most eligible place for a moun- 
taineer's head- quarters. (See Ete. E.) 

The geological structure of the Taren- 
taise Alps has given rise to discussions 
which have gone near to shake the very 
foundations of the science. The reversal 
of the natural order of superposition in 
strata that have been extensively dis- 
turbed is a phenomenon not very un- 
common in the Alps, but nowhere has 
it taken place so extensively, and under 
such singular circumstances, as in this 
part of Savoy. Between the zone of 
crystalline rocks extending from St. 
Maxime de Beaufort to the valley of 
the Romanche, and the still more con- 
siderable metamorphic mass of the Gra- 
ians, rocks of varied mineral composi- 
tion, chiefly belonging to the carboni- 
ferous series, fill the greater portion of 
the area which once apparently formed 
a trough, but where by subsequent dis- 
turbance they have been raised more than 



12,000 ft. above the sea-level. Beds of 
anthracite, often thick enough to be 
worked for fuel, are extremely fre- 
quent throughout this formation, and 
are often associated with black argil- 
laceous slates, abounding in impres- 
sions of ferns, either identical with, 
or nearly allied to, undoubted carbo- 
niferous species. In the midst of 
the carboniferous zone a narrow strip 
of liassic rock«, containing belemnites 
and other characteristic fossils, runs 
parallel to the general strike of 
the strata, from NE. to SW„ and by 
the peculiarity of its relations with 
the earlier formations has raised doubts 
in the minds of some geologists as 
to the value of paleontological evi- 
dence in the identification of strata. 
Sometimes the carboniferous rocks 
appear bodily to overlie the lias, 
sometimes a thin bed of the former 
appears intercalated in conformable 
stratification between two of the latter. 
An instance of the latter phenomenon, 
which was first noticed by Elie de Beau- 
mont, and has been since constantly 
visited by geologists, is seen near to the 
high-road from Albertville to Moutiers 
(Rte. A), in the bed of a torrent a short 
way above the village of Petit Cceur, 
near to the junction of the crystalline 
with the sedimentary rocks. M. Mor- 
tillet has called attention to a neigh- 
bouring locality at La Cudraz, near 
Brianeon, on the SYV. side of the Isere, 
where both carboniferous and secondary 
rocks are involved in the folds of the 
metamorphic crystalline slates. 



Route A. 



CHAMBERY TO BOCRG ST. 


MAURICE. 


Ki 


ometres 


Eng. miles 


Montmelian (bv railway) 14 


8f 


Chamousset . 


. 14 


8f 


Albertville (by road) 


. 22 


12% 


Moutiers 


. 28 


m 


Aime 


loi 




Bourg St. Maurice 


: \% 


9 




ioT 


67£ 



From Chambery to Chamousset (§ 7 



ROUTE A. — BOU.RG ST. MAURICE. 



Ill 



Rte. A) three trains run daily on the 
Victor Emmanuel rly. A line from 
thence to Albertville and Annecy is 
projected. An omnibus, corresponding 
with each train, plies to Albertville in 
2^ hrs., and at 1 p.m. a diligence starts, 
which reaches Moutiers at 6. A traveller 
may proceed on the same evening to 
Bourg St. Maurice with the courier, who 
arrives there at 11 p.m. 

After crossing the Isere the new road 
runs along the embankment which re- 
tains the rt. bank of that river. To the 
1., at the base of the mountain, is the old 
road from Montmelian, traversing the 
village of Gresy, which abounds in 
Roman remains. To the NW. the 
valley is enclosed by the rugged ridge 
which divides the Combe de Bellavaux 
(§ 10, Rte. K) from the Isere. About 
4 m. from Albertville the new road, 
which is hot, dusty, and disagreeable 
for the pedestrian, joins the old road 
near the point where the path to Fa- 
verges by the Col de Tamie turns to the 
N., and another less frequented track 
goes by the Ilaut du Four to Bellavaux. 

Albertville (Inns : Balances, well 
spoken of ; Nord, not recommended ; 
H. de Londres; Parfaite Union) is the 
modern name given by the late King- 
Charles Albert to two small towns 
standing on the opposite banks of the 
Arly, close to its junction with the 
Isere. The name is, however, usually 
confined to the town on the rt. bank of 
the Arly, formerly called Hopital, while 
its opposite neighbour, Conjlaiis, built 
on the slope of a hill, is still generally 
known by its ancient name. The road 
to Moutiers, after crossing the Arly, 
passes under Con flans, leaving on the rt. 
hand the extensive smelting houses 
where the ore from the mines of Macot 
and Pesey is reduced. Having hitherto 
followed the direction of NE., it now 
bends to the SSE.,and about 4 m. from 
Albertville runs close under the ancient 
castle of La Bdthie. The valley here 
contracts to a narrow gorge, and to sus- 
tain the road the embankment has en- 
croached on the bed of the Isere. Just 
before reaching La lioche Cevins (Inn : 



Croix Blanche), 8 m. from Albertville, 
a bridge across the Isere leads to 
the village of St. Paul, on the 1. 
bank, and a path leads to Aiguebelle 
(§ 7) by the Col de Basmont. From 
La Roche Cevins the road is carried 
through a very beautiful part of the 
valley, and nearly 2 m. farther reaches 
a defile called Pas deBriancon, formerly 
commanded by two castles, now in ruins. 
Under the Chateaux de Briangon a 
bridge of a single arch spans the river, 
here contracted to a torrent. About 2 
m. farther, after leaving the defile, 
the road passes near to a fine water- 
fall of the Glaise, along which stream 
the path from the Col de la Louze 
(§ 12, Rte. G) descends to the ham- 
let of Petit Cozur. This part of the val- 
ley is interesting to the botanist as 
well as the geologist. Amongst other 
scarce plants, Carlina nebrodeiisis has 
been found near the Chateaux de Brian- 
gon, and Achillea nobilis is abundant 
near Moutiers. A pedestrian should 
take the old road, which is better shaded 
and more picturesque, in preference to 
the new one, which avoids the hamlet 
of Grand Cceur, opposite to the glen 
which mounts SW. to the Col de la Ma- 
deleine (Rte. I). After passing Aigue- 
blanche, 8 m. from La Roche Cevins, 
the road ascends above a gorge, the 
lower part of which is too narrow to 
give space for a passage, and then de- 
scends to Moutiers, often called, for the 
sake of distinction, 

Moutiers Tarentaise (Inns : Cou- 
ronne, indifferent but apparently the 
best ; H. des Diligences), formerly the 
chief town of the province of Taren- 
taise, standing at a height of about 
1,600 ft., at the junction of the Do- 
ron with the Isere. The cathedral, 
though in part very ancient, does not 
appear interesting. The passes leading 
from Moutiers to the valley of the Arc 
are described in Rtes. E, F, G, and H. 
Those who wish to make a halt in this 
neighbourhood will find better quarters 
at Brides les Bains (Rte. E) than at 
Moutiers. 

Less than a mile S. of the town are 



112 SOUTH SAVOY ALPS. § 



11. TARENTAISE DISTRICT. 



the salt- springs of Salins, where there is 
a small bathing establishment, and an 
hotel (des Bains), where about thirty 
patients are usually found during the 
season. The water contains a consi- 
derable proportion of common salt and 
sulphate of lime, along with a moderate 
quantity of carbonate of lime and other 
salts. The chief utility of the springs 
arises from the salt-works, wherein 
culinary salt is extracted in large quan- 
tities. This operation, carried on in a 
large building close to the town of 
Moutiers, deserves examination. The 
process is of the simplest kind, yet quite 
effectual. The water from the springs 
is conducted through a long succession 
of sheds through gutters, from which it 
is allowed to drop slowly over faggots 
of thin twigs, and is finally brought into 
a building, where it trickles down a vast 
number of cords arranged vertically in 
frames. The effect is to deposit on the 
branches of the faggots and the cords 
the greater part of the calcareous salts 
which it holds in solution, and to pro- 
duce a highly concentrated solution of 
common salt, which is then evaporated 
with a comparatively trifling expendi- 
ture of fuel. When the deposit of stalac- 
titic matter has become excessive, the fag- 
gots are renewed, and the cords cleaned 
of their load by a few blows of a mallet. 

The salt-springs of Salins rise at the 
S. base of the Hoc du Diable, a peak 
immediately E. of Moutiers. The view 
from the summit (about 8,200') is said 
to be very fine. It may be reached 
without difficulty in about 4 hrs. from 
the town, and if the traveller be bound 
for Bourg St. Maurice, he may descend 
from the top by the N. slope of the 
mountain to the high-road opposite 
St. Marcel. 

A diligence plies between Moutiers 
and Bourg St. Maurice, but it starts at 
an inconveniently early hour — 3.30 a.m. 
The charge (to a stranger) for a one- 
horse carriage is 25 fr. Above Moutiers 
the Isere makes a second acute angle, 
resuming its original direction from 
NE. to SW. The road, which through- 
out the valley keeps to the rt. bank, at 



first enters a narrow gorge overlooked 
by a castle belonging to the Bishop of 
Moutiers ; then, as the valley opens, it 
passes the village of St. Marcel, till at 
a second still narrower defile, called De- 
troit du Ciel, where roches moutonnees 
attest the former passage of a glacier, 
it has been necessary to mount the rocky 
slope to a height of 800 or 900 ft. above 
the Isere. In the next open basin, amid 
vineyards and fine trees, the small vil- 
lage of Centron has preserved the name 
of the original inhabitants of this dis- 
trict. To the S. is seen the summit of 
the Mont Jovet (8,3730, said to com- 
mand a still finer view than the Roc du 
Diable. A path over the shoulder of 
the former mountain leads to Bozel 
(Rte. E) in 4 hrs. After passing Villette 
the road reaches Aime (Inn: Au Petit 
St. Bernard), anciently Axuma, one of 
the chief towns of the Centrones, still 
containing many Roman remains. For 
the pass to Beaufort by the Col du 
Cormet, see § 12. On the opposite 
side of the Isere is the village of Macot, 
whence it is a walk of 2 hrs. up the 
valley which opens to the S. to the ex- 
tensive Mines of Macot. Paths lead 
from the mines into the Val Pesey, and 
also to Champagny (Rte. C). 

Above Aime the valley is somewhat 
bare, and about 4 m. farther, at the 
village of Bellentre, the last vines 
are seen. On the opposite side of 
the river, through the opening of the 
Val Pesey (Rte. C), there is on one side 
a fine view of the snowy peak of the 
Mont Pourri, and on the other of the 
range separating the Val Pesey from 
the Val de Premou. Approaching 
Bourg St. Maurice, the pass of the Little 
St. Bernard comes well into view, and 
appears to be the natural termination 
of the valley of the Isere. After pass- 
ing a wide torrent from the N., at about 
9 m. from Aime, the road reaches 

Bourg St. Maurice (Inns: H. des 
Voyageurs, fair accommodation, but 
charges unreasonable; H. Roy^.l), a 
small town (2,7920, where the meeting 
of the routes from Aosta by the Little 
St. Bernard, from St. Gervais by the 



ROUTE B. — SANTE FOI. 



113 



Col du Bonhomme, and from Lansle- 
bourg by the Col dTseran, with the 
main road of the valley of the Isere, 
produces a considerable amount of 
traffic. 



Route B. 

BOD EG ST. MAURICE TO LANSLEBOURG, 
BY THE COL D'ISERAN. 



Hrs.' walking Eng. miles 



Sainte Foi . 




8 


La Thuile . 


:? 


2| 


Brevieres 




6 


Tignes 


. 1 


3 


Laval 






Col d'Iseran 


: ? 


if 


Bonneval 


. 3 




Bessans 




4 


Lanslebourg 


:J 


8 




16| 


"55 



This is a very interesting route, the 
scenery of the Upper Isere, especially 
below Tignes, being very beautiful; but 
it is subject to the serious drawback of 
the utter want of decent accommodation 
throughout the long distance between 
Bourg St. Maurice and Lanslebourg. 
A tolerable inn at Tigrtes is one of the 
greatest desiderata for mountaineers in 
this part of the Alps. 

After passing a square tower, said to 
date from the 4th century, the road 
leading from Bourg St. Maurice to the 
pass of the Little St. Bernard crosses 
first the Versoie torrent descending from 
the Col de Bonhomme, and then the 
Recluse, which flows from the first-named 
pass, and reaches the village of Scez 
(2,953'), where the upper valley of the 
Isere, turning first E. and then SSE., 
marks the boundary between the main 
chain of the Graian Alps to the E. and 
the Tarentaise group to the W. A fre- 
quented mule-path carried along the 
rt. bank of the Isere, amid scenery 
continually increasing in beauty and 
grandeur, traverses the village of Longe- 
foy, passes within sight of several other 
villages and hamlets, and after a rather 
steep ascent, in 2^ hrs. from Bourg St. 
Maurice reaches 

Sainte Foi (Inns: H. duMont Blanc, 



poor enough, but not so bad as Tignes — 
fleas in abundance ; several other inns 
appear still more mean an d d irty), beauti- 
fully situated (3,209') above the junction 
with the Isere of a torrent which drains a 
portion of the glaciers of the Ruitor and 
the N. side of the Ormelune. ^For the 
passes leading to the Val Grisanche, see 
§ 1 5, Rte. C. ) Nearly opposite to Ste. 
Foi is the magnificent peak of the Mont 
Pourri, sometimes called Chaffe Quarre, 
the second in height of the Tarentaise 
Alps (see Rte. C), rising in one unbroken 
mass from the bank of the Isere to the 
height of 12,491 ft., and forming the 
most conspicuous object throughout this 
part of the valley. About f hr. farther 
up the valley is La Thuile de Ste. Foi, 
with an inn (H. des Yoyageurs) not 
quite so poor as those at Tignes, but 
dirty and extortionate. Francois Ruet, 
a chamois hunter and fisherman, lives 
here, and though no longer a young 
man, would be useful as a guide to the 
neighbouring mountains. Game of ail 
kinds is abundant here, and bears are 
not uncommon. [From this village an 
agreeable and easy excursion may be 
made to the Croix de Feuillette, one of 
the minor peaks of the Ormelune, com- 
manding a very fine view of the range 
of Mont Blanc and the nearer Alps of 
Savoy. It is probable that the highest 
point of the Ormelune (10,833') may be 
accessible from this side. The most 
agreeable way to return to La Thuile 
is by the track leading from the Col 
du Clou. The scenery in descending 
towards the Isere is varied and beau- 
tiful.] 

Above La Thuile the mule-path to 
Tignes mounts through a forest, at a 
considerable height above the valley. 
A very striking position is that of the 
hamlet of La Gure, standing just below 
an impending glacier of the Mont Pourri, 
which from time to time launches against 
it masses of ice and rocks. Farther on, 
near the hamlet of Bioley, the traveller 
crosses a torrent fed by one of the largest 
glaciers of the Sassiere, and forming a tine 
cascade close to the bridge. After cross- 
ing another ridge, the path descends to 



114 SOUTH SAVOY ALPS. § 11. TARENTAISE DISTRICT. 



the level of the Isere, and soon reaches 
a green basin where stands the village 
of Brevieres, with a poor cabaret. Among 
many interesting plants found in this 
part of the valley, the botanist will ob- 
serve the beautiful Cortusa Matthioli, 
growing on steep damp rocks near the 
banks of torrents. On the W. side of the 
valley the ravine of La Sache leads by 
the Col of the same name to the Val 
Pesey (Rte. C). A little farther S. is 
the pleasant Alp of Marai, worth a 
visit for its noble view of the Mont 
Blanc range. Thence the traveller may 
reach the Lac de Tignes without re- 
descending to the valley. Beyond 
Brevieres the path to Tignes crosses 
the Isere by a wooden bridge, mounts 
through a pine forest along the moun- 
tain-side, in order to avoid an impass- 
able ravine through which the stream 
forces its way, then descends nearly to 
the bank, until in 1 hr. from Brevieres 
the valley opens out again at the moun- 
tain village of 

Tignes (5,415'), standing on a grassy 
plain at the junction with the Isere of 
the torrents from the Lac de Tignes and 
the Lac de la Sassiere. Here are two 
inns, one kept by Constant Arnaud, 
the other by Eiorentin Re vial, both 
equally poor and dirty, but at the first- 
named some degree of civility and 
attention, and a rather less extortionate 
bill, may be found. The position of 
Tignes is very beautiful and attractive 
to the mountaineer. At the foot of the 
Aiguille de la Sassiere, and in imme- 
diate connection with no less than 8 
high passes, leading into as many dif- 
ferent valleys, it requires nothing but a 
decent inn to make it a frequent resort 
of Alpine travellers. The passes lead- 
ing from hence are — 1. Col de la Gail- 
letta to Val de Rhemes. 2. Col de 
Galese to the Valley of the Oreo. 3. Col 
de l'Eseran to Lanslebourg. 4. Col de 
Larossor to the valley of the same name 

5. Col de la Leisse to Entre-deux-Eaux. 

6. Col du Palet to Champagny. 7 and 
8. Col de Tourne, and Col de la Sache, 
both leading to Val Pesey. The two 
first are described in Chap. V., and the 



last five are noticed in the two next; 
Rtes. [The most interesting excursion 
to be made from Tignes is the ascent of 
the Aiguille de la Sassiere, moderately 
easy of access to practised mountaineers, 
and commanding one of the finest pano- 
ramic views in this part of the Alpine 
chain. An account of the ascent is 
given by Mr. Mathews in the second 
series of * Peaks, Passes, and Glaciers.' 
Having crossed the Isere, he mounted 
by the S. side of the fine waterfall oppo- 
site the village, formed by the torrent 
descending from the Lac de la Sassiere. 
Above the fall the torrent is crossed by 
a wooden bridge, and a path leads into 
an upland glen, in the centre of which 
lies the Lac de la Sassiere. Looking 
up the glen to a large glacier which 
appears to close its upper end, over 
which lies the way to the Col de la 
Gailletta (§ 15), the Aiguille is seen on 
the 1. hand, presenting a range of steep 
rocks surmounted by a cornice of snow, 
and rising into a dome of snow at its 
further or E. extremity. At the W. 
end towards Tignes is a buttress of the 
mountain, connected by a snowy arete 
with the snow cornice above mentioned. 
Ascending by the western buttress, Mr. 
Maihews, with his guide, Michel Croz 
of Chamouni, gained the upper snow 
calotte by a notch in the ridge, and then 
without further difficulty, reached the 
summit, 12,326 ft. in height, taking a 
mean of the nearly concordant baro- 
metric measurement of Mr. Mathews, 
and the trigometric measurement by 
M. Corabceuf. The summit had been 
reached about 40 years before by a 
native of the valley, who had erected a 
cross, of which some fragments were 
found by Mr. Mathews. In a favour- 
able state of the snow T , it is easy to 
descend, in great part by glissades, over 
steep snow-slopes on the side of the 
mountain towards Brevieres. By that 
way Mr. Mathews effected the descent 
in 2 hrs. 5 min.] 

The valley of the Isere between Ste. 
Foi and the Col dTseran is sometimes 
called Val de Tignes, and, in addition 
to its other attractions, is interesting to 



ROUTE B. COL D'iSERAN. 



115 



the geologist, as marking the limit 
between the crystalline rocks of the 
Graian range and the sedimentary strata 
of the Tarentaise, and to the botanist, 
because of the many rare Alpine plants 
which it produces. Among others may 
be mentioned Draba frigida and D. 
nivalis, Oxytropis Gaudini, Gentiana 
punctata, G. brachyphylla and G. tenella, 
Pedicularis rosea and P. cenisia, Primula 
pedemontana (on the rt. hand of the path 
approaching Tignes from Brevieres), 
Carex rupestris, C. microglochin, C. cur- 
vula, C. lagopina and C. bicolor, Alope- 
curus Gerardi, and Avena subspicata. 
Between the plain of Tignes and the 
next and highest basin-like expansion 
of the valley, is a defile even grander 
than those lower down, and so narrow 
that the path has to be carried to 
a great height above the torrent. 
After crossing back to the 1. bank, 
this leads, in \\ hr., to the plain of 
Laval— the short name for La Val 
de Tignes — the highest village in the 
valley; the houses, including a so-called 
inn with two beds, are miserable and 
filthy in the extreme, so that this is 
quite as bad a halting-place as Tignes. 
A path from hence mounting to the W. 
joins the track from Tignes to the Col 
de la Leisse, and another, rarely used, 
leads to Entre-deux-Eaux by the Col 
de Larossor. The way taken to the 
Col dTseran usually passes a group of 
houses called Fornet, whence lies about 
due E. the way to the Col de Galese 
(§ 14) ; but it is shorter to ascend 
by the 1. bank of the Isere, now re- 
duced to a mountain stream, by a 
succession of moderately steep zigzags.. 
In less than an hour above Laval, the 
traveller will see the first of a line of 
stone pyramids, which serve not only to 
direct wayfarers when snow lies on the 
pass, but also to give shelter in bad 
weather; each of them being fitted with 
a niche that holds two or three persons. 
In approaching the summit of the 
pass, the traveller who has studied the 
ordinary guide-books* and the most 



The latest edition of Murray's ' Handbook 

1 



authentic maps will naturally expect to 
obtain a view of the Mont Iseran, which 
he will have seen described as the giant 
of this part of the Alps, 13,271 feet in 
height, and giving birth from its glaciers 
to the rivers Isere, Arc, and Oreo. It 
does not require much experience in 
mountain countries for the traveller, 
using his own eyes, to assure himself 
that no great peak lies close to the pass. 
The existence of a pass implies of 
course that eminences of some descrip- 
tion lie on either side of it. Such exist 
both E. and W. of the Col d'Iseran, 
and the highest point to the E. of the 
pass, occupying the position of the Mont 
Iseran of the maps, was visited in 1860 
by Mr. Cowell, who has published his 
notes of this excursion in * Vacation, 
Tourists.' The ground being very rough, 
it takes about 1^ hr. from the Col to 
reach this summit, which is about 1,600 
ft. above the pass, or rather less than. 
10,800 ft. above the sea-level. It com- 
mands a fine view in the direction of 
Mont Blanc, but is completely over- 
looked bv the ranges which lie to the 
E. and the NW. 

To explain the singular errors con- 
nected with the imaginary peak of the 
Mont Iseran, it is necessary to call to 
mind the fact, that although the passes 
over the Alps which have long been 
known and used acquired early the 
names which they still retain, very few 
of the higher summits obtained fixed 
and recognised names until compara- 
tively recent times. Even at present, 
although every frequented pass is well 
known by its name to the natives of 
the neighbouring valleys, they are often, 
quite uncertain as to. the names of high 
peaks which they never think of at- 
tempting to ascend. All the ancient 



for Switzerland, Savoy and Piedmont,' preserves 
a judicious silence respecting the Mont Iseran, 
but a. recent and justly esteemed work—' Itine- 
raire de la Savoie,' par Adolphe Joanne— not 
only abounds with references to this imaginary 
peak, but gives in connection with the Col d'Ise- 
ran. an account of the ascent of the mountain, 
and of the view from the summit, which is a 
remarkable illustration o; the effect of a strong, 
prepossession, aided by a lively imagination, in, 
distorting the testimony of the senses. 
2 



116 



SOUTH SAVOY ALPS. § 1 



1. TAR EXT A I SE DISTRICT. 



passes in the western Alps received the 
descriptive name of * Mons ' or * Mont,' 
e. g. Mont Genevre, Mont Cenis, Mont 
St. Bernard, Mont Moro, Mont St. 
Gothard, and many others ; and in 
like manner the ancient pass leading 
from the Maurienne to the valley of the 
Isere was called Mont Iseran, by 
which name the pass is now known to 
the natives of the adjoining valleys. 
Geographers, and other writers who 
have treated of the Alps with little or 
no local knowledge, have been con- 
stantly misled in the attempt to identify 
one or other of the neighbouring peaks 
with each of the names above cited. In 
all the other instances referred to it has 
gradually become clear that no peak 
existed bearing the name Mont Genevre, 
Mont Cenis, &c. ; but the neighbour- 
hood of the Col dTseran being little 
known, the error survived much longer. 
It so happened that three high peaks — 
the Grand Paradis, the Levanna, and 
the Aiguille de la Sassiere — whose 
summits, 12 or 13 miles apart, form a 
nearly equilateral triangle, are so placed 
that, when seen from a distance, one or 
other of them pretty nearly coincides 
with the supposed direction of the Mont 
Iseran, and have thus helped to keep up 
the popular delusion. The first of these, 
which is the highest, and that best seen 
from the neighbourhood of Turin, was 
measured trigonometrically by Colonel 
Corabceuf, and that measurement is the 
authority for the supposed height of the 
Mont Iseran. The second summit has 
usually represented the imaginary peak, 
when viewed from the W. and SW. ; 
while the Aiguille de la Sassiere has 
played the same part in views from the 
N. and NE. It is needless to say that 
if a map of this part of the Alps founded 
on actual survey were in existence, so 
gross an error could not have so long 
held its ground ; but unfortunately the 
general map of Piedmont and Savoy, 
published by the War Department at 
Turin, has no claim to be admitted as 
the bona fide result of even a rude 
survey of the higher Alps. The officers 
under whose direction it has been pro- 



duced have not even turned to account 
the limited, but valuable, materials al- 
ready in existence, which were published 
by the Scientific Commission for the 
measurement of the parallel of lati- 
tude between Lombardy and France. 
Some doubt in regard to the Mont 
Iseran of the maps had previously 
existed in the minds of Alpine tra- 
vellers ; but it is to three members 
of the Alpine Club — Messrs. Cowell, 
W. Mathews, and Tuckett — that the 
public are indebted for the complete 
demolition of an unqualified pretender 
to Alpine honours, and for a correct 
knowledge of the three genuine peaks 
whose claims had hitherto been unduly 
estimated. 

The Col dTseran, in height, accord- 
ing to the mean of several observa- 
tions, 9,175 ft., is reached in 2| hrs. 
ascending from Laval. To enjoy at once 
the entire view, it is well to mount for 
a short distance on either side, as from 
the actual Col the view to the S. is 
limited ; but after descending a very 
short way, a grand range of peaks and 
glaciers, extending from the Levanna 
to the Roche Melon, comes into view. 
The downward track lies for some way 
over bare Alpine slopes gradually con- 
tracting towards a ravine, through which 
the path descends very steeply. About 
half way from the top to the valley of 
the Arc several clusters of chalets are 
passed, and then again the descent be- 
comes rapid and fatiguing. To the 1., 
at mid- height of the Levanna, the main 
source of the Arc is seen to break out 
from the face of the mountain. More 
than 3 hrs. are needed for the ascent from 
Bonneval to the Col, but the descent may 
be made in 2 hrs. or even less. [For those 
who may wish to vary the way from Laval 
to Bonneval, there is another pass lying 
W. of the Col dTseran, called Col du 
Fond, not much higher or more difficult 
than the ordinary route. It would be 
advisable to take a guide for this way, 
as the pass is very rarely used.] 

Bonneval (6. 000'), the highest villnge 
in the valley of the Arc, has a very poor 
inn with two tolerable beds, kept by Jean 



ROUTE C. — COL DU PALET. 



117 



Culets, a civil and attentive landlord, 
who is at the same time an excellent 
guide. He accompanied Mr. Cowell to 
the summit of the Levanna, and is ac- 
quainted with several of the difficult 
passes leading into Piedmont (see § 
13). To escape the severe cold of winter, 
the natives partially excavate the ground 
floors of their houses, and live in a 
single room, which serves also during 
that season as a stable for their cattle 
and other domestic animals. 

On leaving Bonneval, the track 
crosses the Arc by a stone bridge, which 
seems out of character in so rugged and 
poor a place, and follows the 1. bank of 
the stream through a wild defile which 
continues for about 2 m.; then, after 
passing some wretched hamlets, the 
valley widens out, and about 3 m. far- 
ther the opening of the Combe de l'Ave- 
role, through which lie several passes to 
the valley of Lanzo, is seen on the 1. 
In 1 j hr., descending, the traveller 
reaches Bessans (Inn, poor and extor- 
tionate, but good honey and cheese 
are had here), whence the summit of 
the Roche Melon may be reached 
in 5J or 6 hrs. (§ 7, Rte. B). After 
passing Lans-le-Vittard, where *a path 
mounting to the L joins the road of the 
Mont Cenis, a walk of 2j hrs. from 
Bessans conducts the traveller to Lans- 
lebourg (§7). A mule and guide from 
Lanslebourg to Bonneval may be hired 
for 5 frs.; and an active pedestrian, 
starting very early, and using this con- 
veyance, may reach Bourg St. Maurice 
(on foot from Bonneval) on the same 
day. 



Route C. 

TIGNES TO MOUTIERS TARENTAISE, OR 
BOURG ST. MAURICE, BY THE COL 

DU PALET ASCENT OF THE MONT 

POURRI. 

2£ hrs. to the Col du Palet. 9 hrs. thence to 
Moutiers. 7 hrs. to Bourg St. Maurice by Val 
Pesey. 

In its downward course from Tignes 



to Moutiers, the Isere makes a long de- 
tour to the N., in which it flows round 
the base of the great ridge whose highest 
summit is the Mont Pourri. A more 
direct course from Tignes to the valley 
of the Isere lies over the Col du Palet, a 
comparatively low pass, easily accessible 
from Tignes, which leads either W. 
through the Val de Premou to Moutiers., 
or NNW. to the Isere between Aime 
and Bourg St. Maurice. 

A brawling stream, descending im- 
mediately to the W. of Tignes, flows 
from the Lac de Tignes, a rather large 
lake, 60 or 70 acres in extent, lying in 
a shelf or hollow of the mountains, 
about 1,500 ft. above the village. The, 
chalets near the lake may be reached in 
lj hr., ascending by a tolerable mule- 
path. Should the traveller be able to 
secure from the fisherman some of the 
fine trout of the lake, which are sent 
during the summer to Courmayeur and 
St. Didier, they may make up for the 
deficiencies of the usually empty larders 
of the inns at Tignes, Laval, &c. The 
path to the Col du Palet mounts a little 
S. of W. from the lake, and leads with- 
out difficulty to the top in about 1 £ hr. 
In descending, Tignes may be reached 
in 2 hrs. from the Col. The Col leads 
to an undulating plateau, which descends 
on the one hand to the Val Pesey, and 
on the other to the Val de Premou ; 
and when clouds lie on the pass, it ap- 
pears to be no easy matter to preserve 
the right direction. 

1. To reach Moutiers it is necessary 
to pass on the S. side of the little Lac de 
Cracalery, about the level of the Col, 
and thence to ascend for a few minutes 
S W. to the Croix de Fretes, which is 
the culminating point of this pass. The 
descent through the Val de Premou is 
long, and not very interesting. After 
passing three small tarns the path winds 
along the N. slope of the valley, passing 
along an alp called La Grande Plagne, 
and then descends more steeply by zig- 
zags to the bank of the torrent near to 
a large chalet. Here the track crosses 
to the 1. bank, which it follows for 
several miles, till, on approaching Cham- 



118 



SOUTH SAVOY ALPS. §11. TARENTAISE DISTRICT. 



pagny, it returns to the rt. bank, and 
ascends to the terrace on which that 
village stands, opposite to the opening 
of the valley of Pralognan (Rte. E). 

Champagny, a rather large village, 
in the midst of very agreeable scenery, 
has preserved the national costume 
better than in most parts of the Taren- 
taise. It is reached in 5 hrs. descend- 
ing from the Col du Palet, but 6 hrs. are 
required for the ascent. From hence 
there is a good road, which descends 
rather steeply to Bozel (Rte. E), a 
large village with two inns, 3 m. below 
Champagny, and about 4 m. above 
Brides les Bains, or 8 m. from Moutiers 
(Rte. A). 

2. If bound for the Val Pesey, the 
traveller commences the descent at once 
from the Col du Palet, turning about 
due N., and leaving on his 1. hand the 
Lac de Cracalery. In rather more than 
an hour he may reach the chalet of 
Autre Lai (or Estralet ?), near to a 
small lake of the same name. Prom 
this chalet a path mounts SW. to the 
Pas de Valgeret, by which Champagny 
is reached in 1 hr. less than by the Croix 
de Fretes. In the opposite direction is 
the Col de la Sache, leading to Brevieres, 
which has been traversed by Mr. Wl 
Mathews. It does not appear to be 
much shorter, while it is certainly 
rougher, than the Col du Palet. A third 
pass, called Col de Tourne, lies between 
the latter and the Col de la Sache, and 
probably offers the most direct way from 
Autre Lai to Tignes. 

The head of the Val Pesey is wild 
and solitary, enclosed between the lofty 
range of the Mont Pourri to the E. and 
a glacier-clad mass which separates it 
from the Val de Premou, one of whose 
highest summits has the common name 
Aiguille du Midi. Nearly 4 hrs. are 
required from the Col to reach the Mines 
of Pesey (6,024'), formerly very produc- 
tive, but of late years considerably fallen 
off in importance. As at the neigh- 
bouring mines of Macot, the ore is an 
argentiferous sulphuret of lead. The 
direct track from the mines to Bourg 
St. Maurice descends along the rt. 



bank of the torrent for 1 hr. to the 
hamlet of Moulin, leaving the village of 
Pesey on a height to the rt. hand. [At 
Moulin a tributary stream descends 
from the SSW. through a wild valley, 
through which a track leads past the 
hamlet of Pranain to a Col, by which 
Champagny is reached in 5 hrs.] From 
the junction of the two torrents it is an 
easy walk of 1 hr. to Landry, where the 
Val Pesey opens into the valley of the 
Isere. Following the char-road, it is a 
walk of nearly 1^ hr. from Landry to 
Bourg St. Maurice ; but there is a path 
which crosses the Isere by a foot-bridge, 
and leads to the town in 1^ hr., rather 
more than 3 hrs. from the mines and 7 
hrs. from the Col du Palet. Should the 
I traveller be bound for Aime, he should 
I enquire for a path leading from Moulin 
to Bellentre (Rte. A), by which Aime 
may be reached nearly as soon as Bourg 
St. Maurice. 

Ascent of the Mont Pourri. The 
I Mont Pourri, also called Chaffe Quarre, 
I and Mont Thurria, is the noble peak 
which is so conspicuous from the W. side 
of the pass of the Little St. Bernard, and 
throughout a considerable part of the 
upper valley of the Isere. Rising boldly 
as it does to a height of from 9,000 to 
10.000 ft. above the Isere, there are few- 
peaks in the Alps which present a more 
imposing aspect. The ridge of the 
mountain, running for 8 or 10 m. pa- 
rallel to the Isere and the Val Pesey, 
which drain its E. and W. flanks, con- 
sists of a central highest peak, flanked 
on either side by two attendant summits. 
The southern of these, which stands 
opposite to Brevieres in the Val de 
Tignes, was reached by Messrs. Mathews 
and Jacomb in 1861, and was found by 
them to be 11,769 feet in height, but 
about 2 m. to the NNW. the middle 
peak was seen to rise much higher, 
and on that side appeared very difficult 
of access. At the suggestion of Mr. 
Mathews, one of his guides, Michel 
Croz of Chamouni, attempted the ascent 
later in the same year, and succeeded 
in reaching the highest peak alone. In 
the following year Mr. Mathews, ac- 



ROUTE C. — MONT POURRI. 



119 



companied by the Rev. T. G. Bonney, 
with Michel and Jean Baptiste Croz, 
effected the second ascent. Starting 
from Bourg St. Maurice, they went in 
the first instance to the village of Pesey, 
where refreshment, but no fresh meat, 
is to be found at a little inn (A la Reu- 
nion des Bons Amis), about \\ hr. above 
Landry. Near the village a stream 
descends from the E. to join the main 
valley, and leads in 2 J hrs.' easy walk- 
ing to the chalets of Entre-deux-Nants 
(6,840 ), situated, as the name imports, 
at the junction of two torrents. The 
party passed the night at one of these 
chalets, belonging to Baudin, the inn- 
keeper at Pesey. Starting next morning 
at 3.30 a.m., they followed an easterly 
course to the head of the glen, a plateau 
dotted with small lakes, divided from 
Bourg St. Maurice by a rocky ridge, 
and communicating with another glen 
which descends towards the Isere a little 
above Scez. Turning to the rt. towards 
the Pourri, they had before them a small 
glacier flanked on the 1., or NE., by a 
rocky peak, and on the opposite side by 
slopes of debris, which they mounted, 
thus gaining, in 2 h. 40 min. from Entre- 
deux-Nants, a craggy ridge connecting 
the peak above mentioned with another 
higher summit, the third peak of the 
Pourri. From this Col, 9,620 ft. in 
height, which, is the direct way from 
Pesey to Sainte Foi or La Thuile, they 
overlooked a wide glacier which descends 
towards the last-named village. At a 
point 250 ft. above the Col, command- 
ing a noble view of the Pennine and 
Graian Alps, they halted for breakfast. 
Descending a few paces to the glacier, 
they next steered S. to gain the ridge 
which connects the highest peak with 
the third peak above mentioned, encoun- 
tering a wall of snow about 20 ft. high, 
which formed the chief difficulty of the 
ascent. Having gained this second 
ridge, they had before them an immense 
amphitheatre of neve, which opens to- 
wards the Val Pesey. Above its SE. 
corner rises the highest peak of the 
mountain, which throws out a spur of 
rock towards the S\V. Circling round the 



head of the amphitheatre, they climbed 
by steep snow-slopes to the crest of this 
spur, and along it reached the base of the 
terminal cone. This was mounted from 
the S. side, partly by rocks and partly by 
snow-slopes. From the ridge where 
the party halted for breakfast, 3 hrs. 40 
min. sufficed to reach the summit, com- 
manding a magnificent panoramic view 
of the Western Alps. 2% hrs. were 
spent in observing with a theodolite 
the azimuths and zenith distances of 
the principal peaks, in strengthening 
the stone cairn which had been erected 
by M. Croz the previous year, de- 
positing thereon a minimum thermo- 
meter, and in observing the mercurial 
and aneroid barometers, by which the 
height of the peak appears to be 12,491 
ft. Returning by the same route in 
about 2 hrs. to the Col near which they 
breakfasted, they separated at that point 
in order to complete the exploration of 
the mountain. Mr. Mathews and J. B. 
Croz scrambled down a steep ravine by 
the side of glacier seracs, and then de- 
scended by shingle-covered ice to a 
sloping alp, whence, bearing to the 
1., they arrived without difficulty at Vil- 
laroger, a village opposite to Ste. Foi. 
A path leads thence along the 1. bank 
of the Isere, and crosses to the mule- 
track from Ste. Foi to Scez, about 
half way between those places. Mr. 
Bonney descended from the Col to- 
wards the N. into the glen which 
reaches the Isere near Scez. About 
half way down the stream falls in cas- 
cades over a range of steep precipices, 
but a pathleads to the 1. and winds down 
the steep face of the mountain opposite 
to Bourg St. Maurice. Nearly 4 hrs. 
were occupied in the descent from the 
Col. The foregoing description has been 
condensed from an account of the ascent 
with which the editor has been favoured 
by Mr. Mathews. 



120 



SOUTH SAVOY ALPS. § 



11. TARENTAISE DISTRICT. 



Route D. 

TIGNES TO LANSLEBOURG, BY THE COL 
DE LA LE1SSE. 
10 hrs.' walking. 

From the chalets of the Lac de Tignes, 
mentioned in the last rte., a path turns 
to the 1. about due S.. and enters a gorge 
which leads to the Col de la Leisse. A 
short way below the Col this track is 
joined by another ^hich mounts from 
Laval (Rte. B). The upper part of 
the gorge displays traces of glacial ac- 
tion, and even at the summit, which by 
the mean of different measurements is 
9,127 ft. in height, the rocks are rounded 
and smoothed in the form characteristic 
of the passage of a glacier. A good 
deal of snow usually lies here, but the 
pass, which is reached in 2 J hrs. from 
the lake, is recognised even in bad 
weather by an iron cross fixed to the 
summit of a boss of rock. The Vallon 
de la Leisse, into which the traveller 
now descends, is one of the wildest in 
the Alps. Along the valley and the 
slopes on either hand, nothing is seen 
but the traces of ruin and desolation — 
everywhere broken fragments, from the 
size of fine gravel to that of huge blocks; 
and even the snow which lies in hollows, 
and in several places bridges over the 
stream, is soon discoloured by the new 
rubbish that is constantly discharged 
from the heights above. Although every- 
thing looks bare and inanimate, the 
botanist may detect several scarce plants 
growing in the midst of the debris, 
amongst which Alopecurus Gerardi is 
abundant. One object alone presents 
an agreeable contrast to the dreary 
aspect of the glen. This is the peak 
of the Grande Motte, rising in a beauti- 
ful snowy pyramid W. of the Col pro- 
bably to about 11,500 ft. It appears 
easy, and the ascent is recommended to 
future travellers, who should start early 
enough to leave themselves time for the 
purpose. In the midst of the debris 
through which the way lies down the 
valley, the path can scarcely be traced, 
but there is no other difficulty in ad- 



vancing than the roughness of the 
ground. In less than 2 hrs. from the 
summit the Leisse torrent, descending 
from the Col, joins the stream from the 
Col de la Vanoise, about 1 m. above 
Entre-deux-Eaux. From those chalets 
Lanslebourg is reached in 4 hrs. by the 
Plan du Loup, following the path de- 
scribed in the next rte. 



Route E. 

MOUTIERS TARENTAISE TO LANSLE- 
BOURG, BY THE COL DE LA VANOISE. 



Hrs.' walking 
Bozel . . 2| 
Planay . . 1± 
Pralognan . . 2 
Col de la Vanoise 2| 
Entre-deux-Eaux 1± 
Termignon . . 3 
Lanslebourg . 1 

i3i 



Eng. miles 
8 
4 
6 
6 
4 
9 



40 



This is a very interesting route, 
leading through the very centre of the 
Tarentaise Alps. There is a good road 
from Moutiers to Bozel, and a rough 
char-road thence to Planay. A tra- 
veller not wishing to put up with the 
indifferent accommodation at Pralog- 
nan may take a vehicle to Bozel or to 
Villard Goitreux, and thence reach 
Lanslebourg on foot in 11^ or 12 hrs., 
allowing 1 hr. or 1 j hr. for halts. 

The carriage-road from Moutiers to 
Bozel keeps to the rt. bank of the 
Doron, and at 4 m. from the town com- 
municates by a stone bridge with the 
opposite bank, where, near the junction 
of the Combe des Allues with the Doron, 
stands the pretty watering-place of 

Brides les Bains (Inns : Pension des 
Bains, the chief hotel, and well kept ; 
H. de laCouronne; and several others). 
The mineral springs were lost for more 
than a century, and again brought 
to light in 1818 by an inundation of 
the Doron, which washed away the 
earth and rocks by which they were 
obstructed. The waters are strongly 
impregnated with various salts, and 
should not be used either in drink or 
baths without medical advice. About 



ROUTE E. — COL 

400 Swiss and Savoyard visitors resort 
hither every year. The charge for a 
room and diet is from 6 to 8 fr. daily. 
For tourists it offers the best accommo- 
dation to be found in this district, and 
a variety of excursions. The most 
agreeable way from Moutiers is by a 
path which, after passing Salins and 
crossing the Doron, follows the 1. bank 
of the stream, mounts to the plateau 
of Villarlurin, and again descends to the 
level of the Doron, \ m. from the Baths. 
There is a good road from Brides to 
Bozel, better shaded and more pictur- 
esque than that by the rt. bank, but 
about | hr. longer. 

Bozel, a large village with two 
inns, lies at the S. foot of the Mont 
Jovet, opposite to a rocky pyramid 
called La Dent, which stands above the 
fork of the valley where the torrent 
of La Riviere joins the Doron. A track 
passing E. of the summit of the Mont 
Jovet leads in 4 hrs. to the mines of 
Macot (Rte. A), and in 2 hrs. more to 
Aime. [The two parallel valleys of 
Allues and La Riviere, which join the 
main valley of the Doron at Brides and 
Bozel respectively, would probably re- 
ward the pains of a mountaineer who 
should undertake to explore them, and 
the passes which may be effected from 
the S. end of each of them. The Combe 
des Allues is said to terminate in impass- 
able glaciers — an expression which,as has 
been well observed, merely means that 
no one has yet attempted to pass them.] 

Less than 1 m. beyond Bozel the road 
to Pralognan separates from that lead- 
ing to Champagny (Rte. C), turns to 
the rt., and descends towards the bed 
of the Doron, which here issues from 
the SSW. At the junction of the main 
stream with the Premou, 2 in. from 
Bozel, the village of Villard Goitreux 
stands in the midst of beautiful scenery, 
but afflicted, like most of this neigh- 
bourhood, with the plague of goitre. 
Above the junction of the two streams 
the valley of the Doron presents a steep 
rocky slope, which must be surmounted 
in order to reach the upper level, which is 
often called Val de Pralognan. Through 



BE LA VANOISE. 121 

this barrier the Doron has cut its way 
in an impenetrable ravine, where it 
descends in a succession of cascades. 
The old mule-path keeps as near as the 
ground will permit to the gorge of the 
Doron, or Gorge de Bellentre, while a 
new char-road is carried in zigzags up 
the slope. Either way is interesting to 
the pedestrian, the new road giving a 
fine view down the valley. No time is 
saved, but rather the reverse, by taking 
a vehicle beyond Villard, as the new 
road stops at the village of Planay, near 
the summit of the steep ascent. To 
reach that point, about f hr. from the 
bridge over the Premou (l£ hr. from 
Bozel) are required. The scenery here 
completely changes its character. The 
Doron flows gently through a nearly 
level valley, whose lower slopes, covered 
with pine forest, are surmounted by 
peaks of great boldness and variety of 
form. Leaving on the rt. hand two 
wooden bridges, which merely serve for 
access to the forests on the 1. bank of the 
stream, the mule-path advances to a 
narrower part of the valley, leading to 
another ascending step of rock. After 
passing on the rt. the hamlet of Ville- 
neuve, about \ hr. above Planay, the 
Doron is crossed for the first time, and 
a steep ascent through pine forest im- 
mediately commences. After \ hr. the 
summit, marked by a large cross, is 
attained, and the path descends a little 
to the open pastures, where a bridge 
leads back to the rt. bank of the Doron. 
Some scattered houses are passed, and 
the path reaches some bosses of rock, 
rounded by the passage of ancient 
glaciers, until in 2 hrs. from Planay a 
sudden turn of the path discloses the vil- 
lage of Pralognan (4,700', W.M.), finely 
placed at the junction of the Gliere 
torrent, descending from the Col de la 
Vanoise, with the Doron, which flows 
nearly due N. from the Col de Chaviere 
(Rte. F). There are two small inns 
here, both poorly provided. In default 
of other requisites, Mr. Mathews found 
civility and moderate charges at that 
kept by Marie Joseph Favre, one of a 
cluster of houses above the church. 



122 



SOUTH SAVOY ALPS. § 11. TARENTAISE DISTRICT. 



The inn * Des Barges' has the prefer- 
ence in Joanne's 'Itineraire.' 

Pralognan is extremely well situated 
as head-quarters for a mountaineer who I 
would explore the central mass of the 
Tarentaise Alps ; and although much 
light has been thrown on the orography j 
of the district through the exertions of | 
Mr. W. Mathews, there is yet room for new 
and interesting expeditions amidst little- 
known peaks and glaciers. This central 
mass lies between the valleys of the 
Doron, which descends towards the N. 
from the Col de Ch'aviere to Villard 
Goitreux, and the nearly parallel valley 
of the Leisse flowing in the opposite 
direction — from N. to S. — from the Col 
de la Leisse (Rte. D) to Termignon. 
To the N. this tract is limited by the 
Val de Premou (Rte. C), and to the S. 
by the valley of the Arc from Modane 
to Termignon. This great mass, about 
13 m. in length by 5 or 6 in breadth, 
presents on every side bold peaks and 
faces of rock, which are the sustaining 
walls and buttresses of a vast glacier 
plateau, of which, until lately, next to 
nothing was known. In one direction 
only it is easily traversed — namely, by 
the depression over which lies the track 
of the Col de la Vanoise, between Pra- 
lognan in the valley of the Doron, on 
the W., and Entre-deux-Eaux in that 
of the Leisse, on the E. Everywhere 
else it rises considerably above the limit 
of perpetual snow. It was known that 
one summit somewhere near to the Col 
de la Vanoise approached to 12,700 ft. 
in height; but the exact position of this 
peak, to which the name Aiguille de la 
Vanoise seems to have been given con- 
jecturally, remained uncertain. Most 
maps have placed it immediately S. 
of the Col, while others omit it alto- 
gether. The six-sheet Piedmontese map 
does not profess to indicate the posi- 
tion of the Aiguille, but has the name 
' Ghiacciaja della Vanoise,' extending 
over the whole glacier region between 
the Col and the Roche Chevriere. 

The following conclusions have been 
established by the researches of Mr. 
Mathews : — 



1. There is no peak known in the 
district by the name Aiguille de la 
Vanoise, and no high summit in the 
place where that supposed mountain has 
been represented on maps. The name 
should therefore be expunged. 

2. The highest summit of the Taren- 
taise Alps, known at Pralognan as the 
Grande Casse, lies NE. of the Col de la 
Vanoise, between Pralognan and the 
head of the Val de Premou. Its height, 
as determined by Mr. Mathews, is 
12,780 ft., and to this peak applies the 
trigonometrical measurement by Cora- 
bceuf of the Aiguille de la Vanoise, his 
result being 12,674 ft. 

3. To the S. of the Col de la Va- 
noise, a vast undulating plateau, ex- 
ceeding 10,000 ft. in height, and covered 
with glacier or neve, extends for several 
miles, but only at its S. extremity rises 
into peaks of any importance. The 
two highest of these are the Dent 
Parassie (12.1 37'), and the Boche Che- 
vriere (10,765'). When seen from a 

j lower level, many of the projecting 
j buttresses, which rise from the valleys 
of the Leisse or the Doron. appear to be 
conspicuous peaks, but with the excep- 
tion of those already named, there donot 
appear to be any which rise much above 
the general level. In the absence of a 
local name for the plateau, it may pro- 
perly retain the collective name, Gla- 
cier de la Vanoise, given in the Pied- 
montese map. 

In ^oing from Pralognan to the Col 
de la Vanoise, the path is so well 
marked, and the position of the Col so 
obvious, that in fine weather a guide is 
not required. The direction is at first 
E., and then ENE., following the 1. 
bank of the Gliere to a group of chalets, 
also called La Gliere, \\ hr. from Pra- 
lognan, below which the track passes to 
the rt. bank. The rare Dracocephalum 
Ruyschiana has been found in theVallon 
de la Gliere, ascending from Pralognan. 
Above the chalets the scenery becomes 
wilder and more imposing. A pinnacle 
of rock, called l'Ouille (patois for l'Ai- 
guille), is seen in the direction of the 
! pass. The regular path, marked by 



ROUTE E. ENTRE-DEUX-EAUX. 



123 



poles, keeps to its N. side, but it is also 
possible to pass it on the S. side. In 
about lj hr. ascending from the chalets 
the Col (8,190', W.M.,8,271', 'LeAlpi') 
is attained. From the summit theGrande 
Casse comes well into view, and it was 
from thence that in 1860 Mr. Mathews 
effected the ascent, with Michel Croz of 
Chamouni and Etienne Favre of Pra- 
lognan. [A short climb over rocks led 
them to easy snow-slopes, with a glacier 
descending on the rt. hand. Mounting 
these slopes, which are here and there 
broken by rocks, and gradually become 
more rapid, they finally reached the 
base of a steep and lofty slope of hard 
frozen snow, inclined at an angle of 
45°. A laborious climb up this slope, 
requiring 800 steps to be cut with the 
axe, led them to a hollow which lies be- 
tween the two peaks of the Grande 
Casse. That to the rt, is capped by 
a dome of snow easily reached; the 
I. hand and highest summit is more 
difficult of access. It is formed by a 
ridge or arete of snow, so extremely 
steep and sharp that the last few feet 
were deemed dangerously unsafe, and 
in order to obtain an observation with 
the barometer, Mr. Mathews found it 
necessary to descend to safer standing 
ground, 30 ft. below the summit. The 
ascent from the Col occupied 5 hrs., and 
the descent 4 hrs., exclusive of halts. 

After passing the Col de la Vanoise, 
the way to Entre-deux-Eaux lies for a 
long distance towards the SE., through 
a broad passage or trench which seems 
to have been cut through the steep and 
rugged peaks on either side. A suc- 
cession of four small lakes, the highest 
and largest of which is the Lac de 
I'OuiUe, lies on this comparatively level 
tract, the passage of which in bad 
weather is much feared by the natives, 
on account of the furious blasts which 
traverse it when the wind sets from the 
NW. After about 1 hr. from the Col, 
the path, which is throughout marked by 
poles, reaches the verge of a steep rocky 
slope, overlooking the junction of the 
Leisse with the torrent descending from 
the Col, called, like many other streams 



in this district, Doron. The descent is 
rapid and rather steep, lying along the 
rt. bank of the torrent, which falls over 
the rocks in cascades. After the junction 
of the latter with the Leisse, the united 
streams, sometimes called Leisse, and 
sometimes Doron d'Entre-deux-Eaux, 
are crossed to reach the chalets of Entre- 
deux-Eaux, where eggs, bread, and 
wine, and, in case of need, a bed, may 
be procured at a little inn or cabaret. 
The height of these chalets is stated by 
Joanne to be 7,090 ft. — on what autho- 
rity ? Here the little -used track from 
Tignes by the Col de la Leisse (Ute. D) 
joins the present route, and a short dis- 
tance S. from the chalets the mule-path 
passes the torrent issuing from the valley 
of Larossor, through which lies a still 
more unfrequented way to Laval (Ute. 
B). At this point a traveller, endea- 
vouring to make out his way without a 
guide, may feel some embarrassment, 
and if he should carry with him the 
six-sheet Piedmontese map he will 
almost certainly be led astray. As the 
Leisse torrent pursues a nearly straight 
course to Termignon, where it falls into 
the Arc, the natural direction of the 
track would apparently be along either 
bank of the stream. Accordingly, on 
the Piedmontese map a track along the 
rt. bank, descending by zigzags to the 
valley above Termignon, is conspicu- 
ously laid down. In point of fact, the 
Leisse below Entre-deux-Eaux soon 
enters a narrow defile below high and 
steep walls of rock. The editor has 
not been able to ascertain whether it is 
possible to pass along the rt. bank, but 
if there be a way, it is certainly very 
difficult and circuitous, and is never 
used by the natives. Parallel to the 
Leisse, but separated from it by a rocky 
ridge, is a trough-like depression, less 
elevated than the Col de la Vanoise, 
but nearly as long, and it is over this 
pass that the track leading to the valley 
of the Arc has been carried. An ascent 
of about 20 min. leads from the bridge 
over the Larossor to the plateau called 
Plan du Loup, probably a corruption 
for Plan des Laux, as it contains several 



124 



SOUTH SAVOY ALPS. § 11. TARENTAISE DISTRICT. 



small lakes or tarns. To the 1. on a 
rock is the oratory of St, Bartholome, 
beyond which the plateau continues, at 
first nearly level, and then descending 
slightly, till at its S. end a steep descent 
over the bare side of the mountain leads 
to the village of Chaviere, where com- 
mences a char-road leading to Termi- 
gnon. There is a foot-path which winds 
round the steep slope of the mountain 
SE. from Chaviere, and descends direct 
to Lanslebourg ; but, though shorter in 
distance, it is said to be no saving of 
time. 

The scenery during the descent from 
Chaviere to Termignon is so sin- 
gular and striking that travellers 
should arrange their plans in order 
to make this part of the route by 
daylight. Immediately below the vil- 
lage the gorge of Combarenel de- 
scends very steeply. Down this gorge 
the char-road is carried in long zigzags 
through a forest of fir and pine, dimly 
lighted even at mid-day amid the rocks 
which enclose it. A peculiarity of the 
rock in this neighbourhood is to form 
vertical columns or obelisks, which stand 
out abruptly from the slope of the 
mountain. Several of these are seen 
near Chaviere, but the most remarkable 
— called Rocs du Pelvaux — are close to 
the road in the descent through the pine 
forest. Throughout the descent the 
rocks which rise on either side of the 
gorge present bold and fantastic forms, 
and a fine background gradually opens 
as the road approaches the valley of the 
Leisse. After passing the hamlet of 
Villard, and descending a final stony 
slope, the track returns to the valley of the 
Leisse, or Doron d'Entre-deux-Eaux, 
when the impassable gorge through 
which that stream descends from Entre- 
deux-Eaux comes well into view. On 
the opposite side of the valley another 
torrent, called Grand Puv, issuing from 
a ravine no less inaccessible, the Combe 
d'Enfer, forms a remarkable series of 
cascades. hr.'s walk along the nearly 
level valley leads to Termignon (§ 7, 
Rte. A), I hr. below Lanslebourg. A 
pedestrian, by mounting a little to the 1., 



may join the high-road some distance 
above the village, and so save 1 min. 



Route F. 

PRALOGNAN TO MODANE, BY THE COL 
DE CHAVIERE, OR THE COL D'AUSSOIS. 

7 hrs. by the Col de Chavidre. 8A hrs. by 
the Col d'Aussois. 

The Doron, which has been men- 
tioned in several preceding routes as 
the chief affluent of the Isere, descends 
due N. from the Col de Chaviere, im- 
mediately above Modane, and, bending 
slightly to the E., receives the Gliere at 
Pralognan. The direct route from the 
latter village to Modane is by the Col 
de Chaviere, but the Col d'Aussois, 
leading to the village of the same 
name, serves as an alternative route, 
and is the shortest way to La Verney 
on the high-road of the Mont Cenis 
(§ 7, Rte. A). The distances have been 
somewhat underrated in Joanne's 1 Iti- 
n enure,' and it would be a very long 
day's walk to make either pass from 
Moutiers, or even from Brides. A tra- 
veller bound to or from either of those 
places may save nearly a mile by avoid- 
ing Pralognan, and keeping to the path 
which mounts the valley of the Doron 
along the 1. bank. Opposite to the 
village of Pralognan a bridge leads to 
that path, which here commands a fine 
view of the Grande Casse (Rte. E), and 
mounts over Alpine pastures, passing 
in the way several groups of chalets. 
At the first of these, called Les Dies, 
a path mounting to the rt. traverses 
the ridge which separates the Doron 
from the Val de la Riviere, by which it 
would be possible to return to Bozel. 
After crossing the Doron, and returning 
to the 1. bank, the path reaches the 
chalets of La Motte, which stand below 
a glacier descending from the Roche 
Chevriere. \ hr. farther, 3 hrs. from 
Pralognan, is the chalet of Ritort, where 
the path leading to the Col d'Aussois 
turns to the 1. About f m. farther in the 
ascent to the Col de Chaviere a path 



ROUTE F. — COL d'aUSSOIS. 



125 



bending sharply to the rt. or NW. leads 
to the Col de Corneilla. About lj m. 
farther is the solitary chalet of Chaviere. 
Here another track diverges to the rt., 
and after passing near the Lac Blanc 
leads to the Pas de Souffre. This, as 
well as the Col de Corneilla, connects 
the Col de Chaviere with Brides les 
Bains by the Combe des Allues. The 
summit of the Col de Chaviere, 4^ 
hrs. from Pralognan, and 9,144 ft. in 
height, according to Mr. Mathews, lies 
WNW. of the Pointe de Massa. From 
the Col, and from several points in the 
ascent, there is a very fine view of the 
chain of Mont Blanc. A more exten- 
sive view, perhaps one of the finest in 
this part of the Alps, is obtained from 
a rocky peak some distance W. of the. 
Col, which was climbed in 1861 by Mr. 
Mathews. The summit, which was 
reached in 2j hrs., after crossing an 
extensive glacier plateau, seems to 
remain unnamed and neglected, though 
11,467 ft. in height, and commanding 
an extremely fine view of the Dauphine 
Alps. Mr. Mathews describes it as 
' one of the teeth of a knotted system of 
serrated ridges, sending out a number 
of spurs to the northward, and over- 
topped by several of the serratures of 
the ridge next to us on the W.' The 
descent was effected directly from the 
summit to the chalets of Poleset in 2^ 
hrs. 

From the Col the path to Modane 
passes at first down some rocky slopes, 
and then, becoming gradually steeper, 
descends on the E. side of a nearly 
vertical cliff, seamed with waterfalls 
from a glacier overhead. The rocky 
gorge below leads, amid very fine scenery, 
to the chalets of Poleset (6,014'), If hr. 
below the Col descending, but 2% hrs. 
are required for the ascent. These cha- 
lets are rather superior to the average, 
and afford tolerable night-quarters. The 
glen, or ravine, of Poleset is interesting 
to the geologist, as it lies along the line 
of junction between the carboniferous 
rocks to the W. and newer secondary 
strata to the E. From the chalets the 
path to Modane at first turns E. over 



pastures, and then descends to the S. 
by a path which zigzags through a fine 
pine forest, reaching the town in 1 hr. 
Nearly 1 J hr. should be allowed for the 
ascent. 

As mentioned above, the path to the 
Col d'Aussois, written also Col de Ro- 
Soire, and Col de Rosue, apparently 
corruptions of the former name, turns 
to the 1. from the path to the Col de 
Chaviere, at the Chalet of Ritort, 3 hrs. 
above Pralognan. After crossing the 
Doron, here reduced to a narrow stream, 
it ascends at first to the E., and then to 
the S., passing alternately over rocks, 
debris, and patches of snow. In 2 hrs. 
from the chalet, the traveller reaches the 
Col, 9,628 ft. in height, lying immediately 
W. of the Roche Chevriere, which, how- 
ever, is not accessible from this side. 
The Col dAussois may also be reached 
from the N. side of the Col de Chaviere 
by the Col des Echelles, traversing a 
ridge which extends to the N. from the 
Pointe de Nassa. The view is not exten- 
sive. A steep descent leads to the highest 
chalets on the S. side of the pass, called 
Plan du Fond. These lie 8. of the peak 
of the Roche Chevriere (10,765'), which 
may be reached in 2 J hrs., ascending by 
almost continuous slopes of very steep 
debris. Farther E., between Plan du 
Fond and the gorge of the Leisse 
above Termignon, is the Dent Parassee 
(12,137'), the third in height of the 
Tarentaise Alps, which has not yet been 
ascended. From Plan du Fond the 
descent to the village of Aussois lies 
over successive levels of green pasture, 
separated by steep steps of pine-covered 
rock. Le Verney is reached from hence 
by the new road connecting that place 
with the Fort of L'Esseillon. The tra- 
veller bound tor Modane should bear to 
the rt., descend to the village of Avrieux, 
passing near a very fine waterfall* and 
keeping to a char-road on the N. side 
of the Arc may easily reach the town 
in OT? hrs. from the Col. 

Both these passes are seen to the 
best advantage when taken from Mo- 
dane ; but as that place is about 1,400 
ft. lower than Pralognan, nearly 1 hr. 



126 



SOUTH SAVOY ALPS. § 11. TARENTAISE DISTRICT. 



additional should be allowed for each 
pass. 



Route G. 

ST. MICHEL TO MOUTIERS TARENTAISE. 

For information as to the passes de- 
scribed in this and the two following 
rtes., the editor is mainly indebted to 
Joanne's 1 Itineraire de la Savoie,' by 
far the most nearly complete guide to 
this part of the Alps, yet not free from 
serious errors in regard to the higher 
and less easily accessible parts of the 
chain. 

The direct way from St. Michel to 
Moutiers is by the Col des Eneombres. 
The torrent, descending from the Col 
joins the Arc about 2 m. below St. 
Michel ; but a path mounts directly from 
the village, winds along the slope of 
the mountain, and after crossing several 
ravines, reaches the village of Baune, 
which commands a fine view up the two 
glens of Yalloire and Valmeinier on the 
opposite side of the Arc. The Col des 
Eneombres lies due N. of Baune, and 
may be reached in about 4 hrs. from 
St. Michel : its height is probably a 
little over 8,000 ft. Many impressions 
of fossil plants are found here, and have 
given rise to much discussion amonp: 
geologists as to the age of the rocks in 
which they are found. W. of the Col 
is the Roc des Eneombres (9,2 52'), sur- 
mounted by a stone mound, which was 
one of the signals used in the measure- 
ment of the parallel of latitude. The 
summit may be reached in 5 hrs. from 
St. Michel, by ascending directly the 
steep slope facing the village of Baune. 
The name Perron des Eneombres has 
been sometimes applied to the Col, and 
sometimes to the peak; and this circum- 
stance has led M. Joanne into the 
mistake of attributing to the former the 
height which belongs to the latter. The 
most direct way to Moutiers is to de- 
scend from the Col into the wild stony 
Vat des Eneombres, w 7 hich joins the 
valley of Belleville a short distance 



below St. Martin de Belleville. 4 hrs. 
from the Col are required to reach the 
junction of the two valleys, and 2j hrs. 
from thence to Moutiers; in all 10^ hrs. 
from St. Michel. 

Another way, longer, but more in*- 
teresting, turns to the rt., about due E. 
lrom the Col des Eneombres, and pass- 
ing between the peaks of JRochenere and 
Chateau Bourreau, descends into a cir- 
cular hollow, lying at the N. side of the 
latter mountain. Following the torrent, 
a path leads in 2 hrs. from the Col to 
the chalets of Bruyeres, "where another 
torrent from the SE. (see below) joins 
the first, and both united form the Nant 
de Belleville. Following the rt. bank 
of the stream, the Vallee de Belleville 
gradually opens, and gives signs of the 
presence of man and of cultivation. 
Several small hamlets are passed, and 
in 3 hrs. from Bruyeres the path reaches 
St. Marcel, the first village. The prin- 
cipal village of the entire valley — Si, 
Martin de Belleville — is but \ hr. below 
St. Marcel, standing on a terrace of the 
valley, in the midst of walnut and 
chestnut trees. A char-road now 
leads down the valley, keeping con- 
stantly to the rt. bank of the stream. 
Opposite the opening of the Yal des 
Eneombres, there is a fine view of the 
snowy summit of the Roc des Eneom- 
bres. St Laurent de la Cote, the next 
village, 1^ hr. below St. Martin, is 
opposite the junction of the Nant Brun 
(Rte. H) with the Nant de Belleville. 
The valley now opens out as it ap- 
proaches its union with the Doron and 
the Isere. The road passes below the 
village of Yillarlurin, crosses the Doron 
to Salins, and in 2f hrs. from St. Martin 
reaches Moutiers (Rte. A), about 12 
hrs. from St. Michel by this route. 

A third way from St. Michel to 
Moutiers, rarely used and little known, 
mounts very steeply from Orelle, a 
village near the high-road, 3 m. E. of 
St. Michel (§ 7, Rte. A), to a snow-pass, 
called Col de la Montee du Fond, which 
leads at first over snow-fields, then past 
the Lac Noir to a torrent that flows 
N\V. to the chalets of Bruyeres, at the 



ROUTE H. — COL DE LA TLATIEKE. 



127 



head of the valley of Belleville. Oppo- 
site to, and due N. of the Col de la 
Montee du Fond, is the Col du Paclet, 
said to be a very difficult pass, leading 
to the upper end of the Combe des 
Allues, which joins the Doron at Brides 
les Bains. It would doubtless be a 
severe day's work to reach that place 
from St. Michel by these two passes, 
but the expedition would probably be 
very interesting, and deserves the at- 
tention of trained mountaineers, 



Route H. 

ST. JEAN DE MAURIENNE TO M0UTIERS 
TARENTAISE, BY THE COL DE LA 
PLATIERE. 

This is a very interesting pass, and 
when better known will probably be 
often visited by tourists. In the appa- 
rent difficulty of the ascent on the 
Maurienne side, it -may almost be com- 
pared to the Gemmi, but it is longer 
and more laborious than that famous 
pass* From 9 to 9j hrs., exclusive of 
halts, are required to reach Moutiers. 
1 It is possible to ride as far as the 
summit of the Col. Charge for a mule 
from Hermillon to the Col, 3 fr. ; for a 
guide as far as St. Jean de Belleville, 
from 5 to 6 fr.' — [Joanne.] 

Crossing the Arc by the bridge, near 
the rly. station of St. Jean de Maurienne, 
a country road leads in 40 min. from 
the town to the poor village of Her- 
millon. From hence the way turns 
sharply to the rt., or rather S. of E., 
and mounts gradually along the base of 
a range of limestone cliffs, and in 40 
min. more reaches the chapel of Notre 
Dame de Montandrey, a well-known 
sanctuary, annually resorted to by large 
numbers of pilgrims on the 8th Sep- 
tember. Immediately above the church 
is a rock which commands a remark- 
ably fine view of the high peaks between 
the valley of the Arc from that of the 
Romanche, with the intervening ranges 
of the valley of Arvan. After passing 
the mean village of Montandrey, the 



track turns to the N., and mounts along 
the upper verge of the same cliffs whose 
base it had previously encompassed. 
Hermillon lies at a great depth be- 
neath, and on the W. side of an im- 
passable ravine stand the chalets of 
Chatel. After mounting rapidly for 
J hr. the path turns NE., in the direction 
of the Col, continuing to ascend for 
another ^ hr., amidst fine old pine trees. 
On emerging from the forest, the path 
seems to have entered an impassable 
eul de sac, closed by inaccessible rocks; 
but a couloir or chimney, through which 
the track is carried by steep zigzags, 
affords an issue, and leads to a grass- 
grown terrace of the mountain, called 
Planey, from whence the last view is 
gained of the valley of the Arc, and 
the town of St. Jean de Maurienne. 
Above Planey extensive pastures, with 
several groups of chalets, stretch towards 
the Col, and after skirting the margin 
of a formidably deep ravine which opens 
on the west, the track reaches those of 
Plan Monsieur, 2 hrs. 40 min. from 
Hermillon- In fine weather it is now 
easy to find the way, as the depression 
over which lies the pass remains in 
view, and is marked by a square rock 
in the midst, called Bonnet du Pretre. 
To the rt. the Roc des Encombres is 
seen above the nearer ridge dividing 
this plateau from the Val des Encom- 
bres. A cross on the ridge marks a 
passage, called Col dc Valhaussiere, by 
which it is possible to descend into that 
wild valley (noticed in last Rte.). 1 hr. 
25 min. from Plan Monsieur suffices to 
reach the Col de la Platiere (about 
6,800'), about 4| hrs. from St. Jean de 
Maurienne. It is possible to pass at 
either side of the Bonnet du Pretre, but 
the track passes to the 1. The view is 
limited, except to the NE., where the 
range of Mont Blanc, towering over the 
intermediate ranges, produces a grand 
effect. 

The descent on the N. side of the 
Col leads into the valley of Nant Brim, 
or Nambrun, a wild and rather dreary 
glen, bare of trees, surrounded by slopes 
of debris, with here and there a patch 



128 



SOUTH SAVOY ALPS. §11. TARENTAISE DISTRICT. 



of snow. The most direct way down 
lies along a sort of promontory of shat- 
tered slate, which projects between two 
ravines. The point appears very steep, 
but the nature of the rock facilitates the 
descent. After 1 hr. the track reaches 
a point where the torrent of Nant Brun, 
formed by the union of the streams that 
drain the head of the valley, has cut a 
deep ravine through the rock. The 
track keeps to the 1. bank, and after 
passing the highest chalets, soon reaches 
some marshy meadows, the bed of an 
ancient lake. On reaching the next 
gorge, which formerly held back the 
waters of the lake, the path gradually 
recedes from the torrent, and thence- 
forward is carried along the W. slope 
of the valley, at a considerable height 
above the stream. In about 2 hrs. from 
the Col, it crosses a considerable affluent, 
descending from the range to the W., 
and 20 min. farther reaches the hamlet 
of Deux Nants, near the junction of 
another stream from the W. with the 
Nant Brun. The valley here becomes 
more animated and picturesque. A 
pine forest clothes the opposite slope of 
the mountain, and lower down are seen 
corn-fields, with houses and mills scat- 
tered amidst tine walnut trees. After 
passing several scattered hamlets, the 
path, in about 3 hrs. from the Col, 
reaches St. Jean de Belleville, a dirty 
village with a cabaret, picturesquely 
placed above the junction of the Nant 
Brun with the valley of Belleville. A 
bridge over the united streams leads to 
the road on the rt. bank, near to the 
village of St. Laurent de la Cote (Rte. 
G) ; but it is shorter to keep to the 
rough char- road, carried along the W. 
slope of the valley, and, after passing 
under the village of Fontaines, to cross 
the deep gorge where the Nant de 
Belleville joins the Doron, opposite to 
Salins ; thence reaching Moutiers in 
If hr. from St. Jean de Belleville, or 
about hrs. from St. Jean de Mau- 
rienne. 



Route L 

LA CHAMBRE TO MOUTIERS TAREN- 
TAISE OR ALBERTVILLE, BY THE 
COL DE LA MADELEINE. 

This pass is traversed by a well- 
marked mule-path, much frequented 
by the country people, being the 
shortest way from the Maurienne to 
Tarentaise, but is rarely visited by 
foreigners. The valley of the Isere 
may be reached on foot or mule-back 
in 7 hrs. — thence it is 2 m. to Moutiers 
or 12 m. to Albert ville. A guide is 
quite unnecessary in fine weather. 

From the village of La Chambre 
(§7, Rte. A), the mule-path traverses 
the fields on the 1. bank of the Bugion, 
and after crossing a torrent that joins 
that stream from the W., mounts to the 
hamlet of St. Martin. It then passes 
to the rt. bank of the Bugion, and 
after skirting the base of some steep 
rocks, zigzags up a steep ascent to 
Montgellafrey, the highest village on 
this side of the pass, 1 hr. 40 min. 
from La Chambre. The track then 
mounts obliquely across the slopes 
to the NW., having the pass in view 
for a great part of the way; and in 4 
hrs. from La Chambre attains the Col 
de la Madeleine (6,6370- From the 
summit it is apparent that the valley of 
the Glandon, on the opposite side of 
the Arc, and the Vallon des Celliers, 
on the N. side of the Col, are the con- 
tinuation, in opposite directions, of the 
trough whose central portion is the 
valley of the Bugion. 

A stony path leads down from the 
Col to the head of the Vallon des Cel- 
liers. Here the track divides. If the 
traveller be bound for Moutiers he 
should cross the torrent, and for some 
distance follow the rt. bank; then, 
turning to the rt. and crossing a low 
ridge, he will descend by the hamlets 
of l)oucy and St. Oyen to the village 
of Bellecombe (3 hrs. from the Col), 
close to the junction of the Moret tor- 
rent with the Isere. Thence after 
crossing, first the Moret and then the 



ROUTE A. VALLEY OF THE ARLY. 



129 



Isere, he will fall into the high-road 
to Moutiers (Ete. A) at the village of 
Aigueblanche. [The Moret torrent 
drains the Combe des Avanchers which 
opens to the S. from Bellecombe. 
From the village of Avanchers paths 
lead to Villardy and to Fontaine, in 
the valley of Belleville (Ete. H> ] 

Should the traveller's destination 
be Cevins or Albertville, he must keep 
to the 1. bank of the stream throughout 
the Yallon des Celliers. After passing 
the village of Celliers, and the hamlets 
of Thuile and Villard Benoit, he will 
in 2j hrs. reach Bonneval, near the 
chapel of Notre Dame de Brianeon,atthe 
E. end of the defile of Briancon, about 
3 m. from La Eoche Cevins (Ete. A). 



SECTION 12. 

ALBERTVILLE DISTRICT VALLEY 

OF THE ARLY. 

It has been seen in § 10 that Cham- 
bery stands in a valley between two 
systems of parallel ridges of lime- 
stone, both connected with the ranges 
that enclose the Grande Chartreuse. 
The western system is directed first 
to the N. and then NW., forming the 
Jura range. The eastern system 
forms near to Chambery the range of 
the Beauges, and a glance at the geo- 
logical maps accompanying this volume 
will show that this is the SW. extre- 
mity of a zone of secondary rocks tra- 
versing Savoy and Switzerland from 
WSW. to NNE., and associated with 
eocene deposits which lie along its 
geometrical axis, between an outer 
fringe of cretaceous and jurassic rocks. 
The geological disposition of the strata 
here corresponds in a general way with 
the orographic relations. The prevail- 
ing tendency of the ridges and the 
main valleys is parallel to the general 
strike of the strata, but the whole mass 
is at intervals cut through nearly at 
right angles by deep valleys, often 
narrowed to mere defiles. Of this 
character is the defile of Magland,. 



between Cluses and Sallanches in the 
valley of the Arve, which forms a 
natural division between the limestone 
mountains of Chablais and Faucigny 
and those which extend from the Arve 
to the Lake of Annecy. These are sepa- 
rated by the valley of the Arly from a 
group of higher mountains, chiefly com- 
posed of crystalline and metamorphic 
rocks, which form a link in the chain 
connecting Mont Blanc with the Belle- 
docne and the Taillefer on the oppo- 
site sides of the valley of the Eo- 
manche. This group might have been 
considered as a SW. prolongation of 
the range of Mont Blanc ; but if, fol- 
lowing the example of most geo- 
graphers, we consider the latter to be 
limited by the Val de Montjoie and 
the Col du Bonhomme, it appears most 
convenient to unite it in the present 
section with the adjoining limestone 
ranges W. of the Arly, and to name 
the district from Albertville, the only 
place of any importance with which it 
is connected. 

Though little known to English 
tourists r this district abounds in agree- 
able scenery, and is full of interest to 
the naturalist and the geologist. The 
most central point in the limestone 
mountain district is Thones, whence 
the ascent of the Tournette, the Mont 
Charvin, and other interesting excur- 
sions, may be made. The country sur- 
rounding St. Maxime de Beaufort 
is not less interesting^ and presents a 
striking contrast in the character of its 
scenery, owing to the different nature 
of the rocks which there prevail. 



Route A. 

ALBERTVILLE TO SALLANCHES — MONT 
JOLI. 

Hrs.' walking Eng. miles 

Ugine . 1| 5 

Flumet . . 3| f0| 

Wegeve . 2 6 

Sallanches . 2 6 

9 27i 

There is a good road from Albertville 
(§ 11 ? Ete. A) to Ugine ; between that 



130 



SOUTH SAVOY ALPS. § 12. ALBERTVILLE DISTRICT. 



place and Sallanches a char-road has been 
in progress for some years, but according 
to the latest information received it is 
open only between Flumet and Sallan- 
ches, leaving the space between Ugine 
and Flumet to be traversed on foot 
or mule-back. The Annecy diligence 
may be used as far as Ugine. 

The road keeps to the rt. bank of the 
Arli/, passing opposite to the opening of 
the valley of Beaufort (Rte. E), amidst 
very pleasing scenery, enlivened by 
numerous villages that lie on the E. 
slopes of the Mont VEtoile. About 
4i m. from Albertville the road to 
Faverges and Annecy turns off to the 1. 
before mounting the hill, whereon stands 

Ugine (Inn : La Grande Maison), a 
large straggling town (1,755'), over- 
looked by the remains of a very an- 
cient castle perched upon a steep rock. 
Due N. of Ugine is the Mont Charvin 
(7,920 ), the highest summit of the 
ranges lying TV. of the Arly and the 
Isere. It was one of the stations used 
in the triangulation of France, and 
must command an admirable pano- 
rama, but it does not appear to have 
attracted the attention of Alpine tra- 
vellers. Above Ugine the mule-path 
mounts rather steeply the E. slope of 
one of the buttresses of the Mont Charvin 
at a great height above the Arly, and 
in 2 hrs. (ascending) reaches the village 
of Hery (Inn : L'Entree des Voyageurs), 
3,045 ft. in height, beautifully situated 
amidst bold rocks and pine forest. 
Above Hery the ascent is less steep ; a 
little col is soon passed ; the path 
descends to cross the Flons, a torrent 
from the Charvin, and then keeps nearly 
at a level, passing above the village of 
St. Nicholas de la Chapelle, till, after 
traversing the considerable stream of 
Norandine, along which is a path to 
St. Jean de Sixt (Rte. C),in 2 hrs. from 
Hery it reaches 

Flumet (3,018'), a little town with an 
inn, and. the remains of the castle of 
the first baron of Faucigny, Several 
paths lead to the valleys of Beaufort 
and Hauteluce (Rte. E> From hence 
the char-road is open to Sallanches. 



For about 6 m. it follows the rt. bank 
of the Arly to Megeve (3,700'), where 
there is a country inn (Soleil d'Or), con- 
venient for those who make the ascent 
of the Mont Joli. This excursion may 
be made from Sallanches, St. Gervais, 
or Contamines; but it is a better ar- 
rangement to ascend from Megeve and 
descend to St. Gervais, thus saving 
labour, reaching the summit at an earlier 
hour, and securing the most advan- 
tageous points of view. Megeve being 
1,634 ft. above St. Gervais, and more 
than 1,800 ft. above Sallanches, fully 
an hour is saved in the ascent, which 
may be made in 3j hrs., and the way is 
so easy that a mule may be taken nearly 
to the top. The Mont Joli (8,7 60') 
stands in a similar relation to the W. end 
of Mont Blanc that the Brevent and the 
Cramont hold respectively to the X. and 
S. faces of the great mountain, being 
separated from it merely by the valley 
of Montjoie- Besides the grand view 
of Mont Blanc, the range of the Buet 
and the mountains of Sixt (§ 17) are 
well seen from here, and one of the 
peaks of theBernese Alps ( Wildstrubel ?) 
appears over the Col de Balme. In the 
opposite direction the eye ranges along 
the valley of the Isere to the heights 
above Grenoble. 

The road from Megeve to Sallan- 
ches soon crosses the low watershed 
which separates the Arly from a stream 
falling to the N., to join the Arve near 
Sallanches. During the descent the 
chain of Mont Blanc comes gradually 
into sight, and at Combloux, 1 hr. from 
Megeve, the view almost rivals that 
from the Mont Joli. St. Gervais is 
easily reached in 1 hr. by Domancy. 
The same time, or even less, suffices 
to descend to Sallanches (§ 16), and 
the entire way lies amid grand views 
of the neighbouring Alps. 



Route B. 

ALBERTVILLE TO ANNECY. 

A diligence runs daily between Al 



ROUTE B. — ASCENT 

bertville and Annecy, a distance of 
about 28 m., passing close to Ugine 
(Rte. A), and thence to Faverges, 12 J 
m. from the former town ; but a pe- 
destrian may take a much more in- 
teresting way, which will lead him in 
4 hrs.' steady walking to Faverges. The 
path turns off from the high-road to 
Chambery (§11, Rte. A), near the village 
of Tournon, about 3 m. from Albert- 
ville, and mounts directly by steep rocks 
to the Col de Tamie (4,354'), command- 
ing a fine view of the valley of the 
Isere. This low pass separates the 
mountains at the head of the Combe de 
Bellavaux (§ 10) from the Mont VEtoile, 
which may be considered as the con- 
necting link between the Beauges and 
the range of the Mont Charvin, being 
separated from the latter by the valley 
of the Chaise, through which the post 
road runs from Ugine to Faverges. At 
a short distance below the Col on the 
N. side are the ruins of the Abbey of 
Tamie, founded in 1132. The descent to 
Faverges lies through very picturesque 
scenery. The post road from Albert- 
viile, as mentioned in last Rte-, turns off 
to the 1. at the foot of the rising ground 
on which stands the town of Ugine, and 
ascends along the 1. bank of the Chaise 
to Martens. At that village the valley 
bends- from NW. to SW., and the road 
keeps to the 1. bank until it crosses the 
stream, in order to traverse the very low 
pass which separates the Chaise from 
the waters of the Eau Morte flowing to 
the Lake of Annecy. 

Faverges (Inn : La Poste, good) is a 
rather large country town, with iron 
works and mills for spinning silk. The 
summit of Mont Blanc is seen from 
the town, and the surrounding hills 
all command fine views; but the ex- 
cursion especially recommended to 
the mountaineer is the ascent of the 
Tournette (7,756'), a long ridge of 
limestone, whose S. end rises from 
the little plain of Faverges, and 
whose steep western slopes face the 
Lake of Annecy. The ascent may be 
made from Faverges or from Thones 
(Rte, C), or by a steeper and more 



OF THE TOURNETTE. 131 

laborious path from Talloires, on the 
Lake of Annecy. The best plan is to 
mount from either of the first-named 
places and descend to Talloires; in 
each case the ascent requires at least 
6 hrs., and the descent about 4 hrs. ; so 
that, allowing for halts, it is a tolerably 
long day's work. It is not prudent to 
start without a guide, as the time lost 
in seeking the way may compromise the 
result of the excursion. The crest of 
the mountain (about 7,500') is a ridge 
which spreads out into a platform, sur- 
mounted by a sort of tower of rock, w r ith 
walls not merely vertical, but in some 
places actually overhanging their base. 
The summit of this rock, called the 
Fauteuil, is reached by a fissure or 
chimney, which should not be attempted 
by persons liable to giddiness. The view 
combines the Lake of Annecy and a por- 
tion of the Lake of Geneva, with a grand 
Alpine panorama. It is probable, how- 
ever, that the nearer view of the Savoy 
Alps and Mont Blanc from the Mont 
Charvin is in some respects superior. 

From Faverges to Annecy the tra- 
veller has the choice between two roads. 
The diligence travels by the W. shore 
of the lake, which is reached by fol- 
lowing the Eau Morte, and leaving on 
the rt. hand the marshy plain at the 
head of the lake formed from the de- 
tritus of that stream. Passing close to 
Doussard, whence a path leads to 
the Col de Cherel (§ 10), the road 
reaches the lake about 5 m. from Fa- 
verges. 3 m. farther is the castle and 
village of Duingt, where citizens of 
Chambery and Annecy in search of 
cool air and fine scenery find lodgings 
in the summer. The castle stands on 
a promontory, which narrows the lake 
to half its width. The charge for a 
boat from Annecy to Duingt is 4 fr., 
and for the same, or a less price, a boat 
may usually be found by a traveller 
going to Annecy. [For the foot-path 
by Entrevernes, and the road from St. 
Jorio, 2 J m. beyond Duingt, both 
leading to Chatelard, see § 10.] The 
distance by the post-road is about 8 m., 
passing St. Jorio and Sevrier, to 
2 



132 



SOUTH SAVOY ALPS. § 12. ALBERTVILLE DISTRICT. 



Annecy (Inns: H. de I'Angleterre, 
near the diligence office; H. de Geneve, 
near the lake; both good; H. de TEu- 
rope), an important town, capital of the 
Department of Haute Savoie, and pos- 
sessing many thriving factories, partly 
worked by the water of the lake, which 
is conveyed through the town to the 
river Fier in artificial channels of great 
antiquity. The cathedral, the church of 
St. Dominic, and that of the Convent 
of the Visitation, containing the remains 
of St. Francois de Sales, are worth a 
visit. The neighbourhood of Annecy 
is intimately connected with the labours 
of that zealous and enlightened bishop, 
and with the early life of Jean-Jacques 
Rousseau. The lake is about 1,450 ft. 
above the sea, 9 m. long, and from 1 to 
2 in breadth. On rising ground N. of 
the town is Annecy le Vieux, whose 
Eoman origin is attested by many 
medals, urns, and fragments of statuary. 
Many agreeable walks and drives are 
to be found in the neighbourhood of the 
town and on the slopes of the neigh- 
bouring hills. 

Diligences run daily from Annecy to 
Aix, 20 m., by Alby and Albens; to 
Geneva. 26 m., by Cruseilles, passing 
the remarkable wire suspension bridge 
of La Caille, 212 yds. in length, and 
650 fc. above the torrent of Les Usses ; 
to Rumilly by a hilly road, 11^- m., 
whence a rough country road leads 
in about 10 min. to the Seyssel station 
on the rly. from Lyons to Geneva; and, 
lastly, to Bonneville (see next Rte.). 

The road from Faverges to Annecy 
by the E. shore of the lake is more hilly, 
and perhaps more interesting than that 
by Duingt. Opposite to the village of 
Doussard a bridge crosses to the it. 
bank of the Eau Morte, near Verthier, 
and, skirting the S. end of the lake in 
5 m. from the bridge, reaches Talloires, 
a village beautifully situated opposite 
the castle of Duingt. Tne luxuriance 
of the vegetation and the mildness of 
the climate of this part of the lake have 
been extolled by Eugene Sue, who spent 
the latter years of his life as an exile 
'from France i* 1 the neighbourhood of 



Annecy. There is a path from hence 
to Thones by the Col de Nantes, and the 
summit of the Tournettc (see above) 
may be reached by St. Germain, the 
chalet of Lo, and that of Cassav (5.873'). 
Less than 2 m. beyond Talloires is 
Menthon, with, remains of Roman baths, 
and of piles of Roman masonry pro- 
jecting into the lake, supposed to 
have been the commencement of a 
bridge designed to unite the opposite 
shores (?). The castle, still in partial 
•preservation, contains a room which is 
pointed out as the birth-place of St. 
Bernard of Menthon, the founder of the 
Hospice of the Great St. Bernard, of 
whose life an interesting sketch is 
given in King's 4 Italian Valleys of the 
! Pennine Alps.' The scenery of the road 
I between Menthon and Annecy (5^ m.) 
is varied and interesting. 



Route C. 

ANNECY TO BONNEVILLE. 

The post road from Annecy to Bon- 
neville runs at first nearly due X. along 
the rt. bank of the Filliere, an affluent 
of the Fier, and leaving on the rt. hand 
the picturesque valley of Thorens, 
through which the Filliere descends 
from the E., follows a stream from the 
NE., leading to a low col (2,605'), 
which it passes, to the village of La 
Roche, overlooking the valley of the 
Arve. A road descending to the N. 
leads to Geneva, and another due E. 
reaches Bonneville (§ 16,Rte. A)in2l£ 
m. from Annecy. 

Another longer but more interesting 
road, passable for chars, after a slight de- 
tour by Annecy le Vieux to avoid the in- 
tervening range of hills, mounts through 
the valley of the Fier in a direction 
somewhat S. of E, to the bridge of St. 
Clair (5 m. from Annecy), leading to the 
curious remains of a Roman road, partly 

I excavated through the limestone rock. 
[Here the Vailon de Dingy opens 
to the N., and leads directly to the 
summit of the Parmelan (6,007'), a 

i rugged limestone ridge, which, like all 



ROUTE D. VALLEY OF THE BORNE. 



133 



the neighbouring mountains, commands 
a very fine view. The ascent is less 
laborious than that of the Tournette, but 
is also less interesting.] From St. Clair 
a road runs along either bank of the 
Fier, in 6^ m.. to 

Thones, a large village, with an inn, in 
a picturesque situation at the meeting of 
several mountain glens. One of these 
leads SSW. by the Col de Nantes 
W. of the Tournette, to Talloires (Rte. 
B). A second glen leads, about due 
S., by Les Clefs and a low pass be- 
tween the range of the Tournette and 
that of the Mont Charvin to Ser- 
raval, the best starting point for the 
ascent of the latter mountain. From 
thence one path leads direct to Faverges, 
and another, crossing a spur of the 
Charvin, descends to Marlens (Rte, B). 
Either place may be reached in 5 hrs. 
from Thones. A third glen, La Combe 
de Manigod, descending from the E. to 
Les Clels, above Thones, bears down 
the head waters of the Fier, which rises 
on the N. side of the Mont Charvin. 
The fourth of the glens which meet at 
Thones is that of the Nom torrent, 
through which lies the way to Bonne- 
ville. At La Cour, about lj m. above 
Thones, the road crosses from the L to 
the rt. bank, and continues in a direct 
course to the NE., till in about 5j m. 
(or 17 m. from Annecy) it gains the 
summit of a low pass, Col de St. Jean 
de Sixt, which separates the Nom from 
the valley of the Borne. [In mounting 
to the Col the road passes about ^ m. to 
the W. of the village of St, Jean de Sixt, 
whence a path leads SE. by La Clusaz 
to the Col des Aravis (4,928')> and de- 
scends by LaGiettaz to Flurnet(Rte. A). 

In less than a mile from the Col de 
St. Jean de Sixt, the road reaches the 
Borne (for the way to Sallanches and 
C J uses, see next Rte.), crosses a bridge 
to the rt. bank, and descends through a 
defile where there is a fine waterfall to 
Entremont (Inn: Epee Couronnec), 3 
m. from, the Col. [Entremont may be 
reached from Thuy, in the valley of the 
Fier, Ijm. below Thones, by a path 
parallel to the course of the Nom, cross- 



ing the Col de la Bvffa. This way is 
rather shorter, but much rougher and 
steeper than the char-road.] 

4 m. below Entremont is Cret, the 
chief village of the valley of the Borne. 
The road keeps along the rt. bank, pass- 
ing several hamlets, and rises to a great 
height above the torrent, till about 4 m. 
from Cret it gains a point overlooking 
the junction of Borne with the Arve, 
and commanding a fine view of the 
broad valley, in the midst of which lies 
Bonneville, about 6 m. from Cret, or 30 
m. from Annecy by this rte. 



Route D. 

ANNECY TO SALLANCHES OR CLUSES. 
From 12 to 13 hrs.' walk to either place. 

To reach Sallanches or Cluses from 
Annecy involves rather more than a 
fair day's walk; but by starting very 
early in a char, which may be taken as 
far as Thones, and breakfasting there at 
the village inn. the expedition is brought 
within moderate limits. The least labo- 
rious way from Thones to Sallanches, 
though it involves a considerable circuit, 
is to pass by the village of St. Jean de 
Sixt and the Col des Aravis (noticed in 
last Rte.) to Flumet, and there hire a 
char to Sallanches (see Rte. A). The 
direct way is to -cross the Col de St. 
Jean de Sixt, 5|- hrs. from Annecy, 
and on descending to the bridge over 
the Borne, mentioned in last Rte,, to 
turn to the rt., ascending the course 
of that stream, here flowing from the 
NE., to Yilleneuve (Inn: A la Vic- 
toire), I hr. from the Col, the chief hamlet 
of the commune of Grand Bornand, 
4,227 ft. above the sea. Here the char- 
road ends, and the valley of the Borne 
divides ; the eastern branch passes to 
the S. of the Mont Fleury, and a path 
leads to Sallanches over the Col des 
Fours. [Further information is desired.] 

The way to Cluses lies through the 
glen which descends from the N. to 
join the Borne at Villeneuve. Two tor- 
rents meet at the head of the glen above 



134 



SOUTH SAVOY ALPS. § 12. ALBERTVILLE DISTRICT. 



the hamlet of Chinaillon, and each of 
them leads to a pass. The most direct 
way is by the L, hand path, mounting at 
first to NE., and then nearly due E., to 
the pass called Haut du Col, lying im- 
mediately under the pyramidal summit 
of the JaUouvre. A steep descent 
through woods and meadows leads to 
Prolong (3, 199'). 4 hrs. from Vilie- 
neuve, whence Cluses is reached in 
2\ hrs. by a path along the 1. bank of 
the torrent which joins the high-road 
from Geneva at Scionzier (§ 16, Rte. A). 

The path following the rt. hand tor- 
rent above Chinaillon is less steep and 
more interesting, but J hr. longer than 
that by the Haut du Col. It mounts 
due E. to a col on the N. side of the 
Mont Fleury, and then descends to 
Somier at the head of the Vallee du 
Reposoir. [From Somier a path mounts 
to the E., crosses the ridge of the Mont 
Meiry by a pass nearly 6.000 ft. in 
height, and descends to Sallanches.] 
About 2 m. below Somier is the Char- 
treuse du Reposoir (3,405'), founded in 
1151. The building is interesting in 
itself, and rendered doubly so by the fine 
scenery which surrounds it. The valley 
is enclosed between the range of the 
Mont Vergy to the W. and the Mont 
Meiry to the E. The highest point of 
the latter ridge is the Pointe Percee, a 
shattered wall of limestone rock, utterly 
inaccessible, and pierced through by an 
opening, which may be seen from the 
Chartreuse. The valley and the moun- 
tains around it are peculiarly rich in 
rare plants, including most of the species 
peculiar to the calcareous rocks of 
this part of the Alpine chain. About 1 
m. below the Chartreuse the path reaches 
Pralong, and joins that above described 
by the Haut du Col. 



Route E. 

ALBERTVILLE TO ST. GERVAIS, BY THE 
VALLEY OF BEAUFORT. 
14| hrs. by Haute Luce. 
A short distance N. of Albertville the 
Arly receives from the E. a powerful 



torrent, which, to distinguish it from 
other streams of the same name, is called 
the Doron de Beaufort. This drains 
the entire mountain district of Beau- 
fort lying between Albertville and the 
chain of Mont Blanc. This district 
contains some fine scenery, and many 
rare plants. It may very conveniently 
be visited in the way to Mont Blanc, as 
a traveller leaving Paris by the night 
train may easily reach St. Maxime de 
Beaufort on the following evening in 7 
or 7^ hrs. from the rly. station at Cha- 
mousset. (See § 11, Rte. A.) 

After crossing the bridge over the 
Arly at Albertville, a char-road leads 
to Venthon, near the junction of the 
Doron with the Arly. For about 3 m. 
the track leading up the valley keeps to 
the 1. bank, till opposite the village of 
Queipe, which stands on the N. side of 
the stream. Here the valley of Beaufort 
opens out to the E., between the Mont 
Mirantin to theS., and the Bisanne to 
the N. After pas-ing Villards (2,375'), 
and the ancient castle of Beaufort, 
standing on a conical hill which over- 
looks the entire valley, in 4 J hrs. from 
Albertville the traveller reaches St. 
Maxime de Beaufort, a large village 
with a very fair inn, chez Henri Martin, 
finely situated at the meeting of three 
valleys. From the NE. the Dorinet 
torrent, flowing through the valley of 
Haute Luce, joins the Doron a short 
distance below the village, while ex- 
actly opposite the valley of Pontcella- 
mot opens to the S. To the E. is the 
main valley, which above St. Maxime is 
called the valley of the Gitta. The way 
to St. Gervais is by the first of these 
valleys. A steep ascent, by a track which 
turns round the angle of the mountain, 
leads to the hamlet of Les Traverses, 
and after crossing to the rt. bank of the 
Dorinet, in H hr. the traveller reaches 
Haute Luce,, whence a track leads 
across the mountain to the NW. to Notre 
Dame de Bellecombe and Flumet (Rte. 
A). Keeping to the rt. bank, in \ hr. 
beyond Haute Luce the path passes 
Annuit (whence Megeve [Rte. A] may 
be reached by the Col de Very), and 



ROUTE F. — VALLEY OF BEAUFORT. 



135 



after a long ascent attains the chalets 
of Planey, 2^ hrs. (?) from Haute Luce. 
Here a track turning S. leads to the Lac 
de la Girottaz, lying in a hollow on the 
N. side of the Rocher des Enclaves. The 
upper end of the valley, and especially 
the neighbourhood of the lake, are rich 
in rare plants. Among others may be 
mentioned Gentiana Burseri, G. pur- 
purea, G. punctata, and G. angustifolia, 
Epipogium Gmelini, Listera cordata, and 
Corallorhiza innata. Another track 
bears to the E., and after passing the 
chalets of Colombe, crosses a pass called 
Enclave de la Fenetre, leading to the V al 
de Montjoie, above Nant Borrant (§ 16). 
The way to St. Gervais keeps to NE., 
and in ]| hr. from Planey attains the 
Col Joli, whence Contamines may 
be reached in 2\ hrs — 7 J hrs. from St. 
Maxime. 2\ hrs. more conduct the 
traveller to the Baths of St. Gervais 
(§ 16). 



Route F. 

ALBERT VILLE TO BOURG ST. MAURICE, 
BY BEAUFORT. 

From St. Maxime de Beaufort, 4j 
hrs. from Albertville (Rte. E), the path 
through the upper valley of the Doron, 
or Vallee de la Gitta, at first enters a 
narrow gorge between steep rocks, 
before long passes to the 1. bank of the 
stream, and in 1^ hr. y or less, reaches 
the opening of the Vol de Treicol, a glen 
which mounts towards the S. on the W. 
side of the Aiguille du Grand Fond. 
Here there is a choice between two paths, 
both of them rather laborious, and not 
easily found without a guide. 

\.~ By the Col de la Saulce. The 
path follows the main valley due E., 
from the junction to the hamlet of Gitta 
(5,512'), 3j hrs. from St. Maxime, lying 
at the S. base of the Pointe du Four. 
The scenery of the upper end of the 
valley is extremely fine, and many 
scarce plants will reward the botanist. 
Near the highest chalets Phaca frigida 
has been found, with Potentilla minima, 



Gentiana brachyphylla and other rarities. 
An ascent of 1^ hr. leads from Gitta to 
the Col de la Saulce, 5 hrs. from St. 
Maxime, lying between the Tete du 
Bonhomme on the rt. and the Pousseleite 
on the 1. The traveller has now reached 
the point of junction between the head 
of the valley of Beaufort and that of 
Montjoie; and though 1 hr. distant, not 
much below the level of the Col du 
Bonhomme, by which both of them 
communicate with the gorge of Bellaval. 

[Bearing to the 1., the traveller may 
soon join the mule -path from the Col 
du Bonhomme to St. Gervais, and 
reach that place in 6j hrs.] To reach 
Bourg St. Maurice from the Col de 
la Saulce, it is necessary to follow tha 
track to the Col du Bonhomme, and 
descend in If hr. to Chapiu (§ 16, Rte. 
B). The great majority of travellers 
who pass Chapiu remount to the NE., 
through the glen leading by Motet and 
the Col de la Seigne to Courmayeur. 
Comparatively few descend through the 
wild and somewhat dreary Vol de Bel- 
laval to the valley of the Isere. After 
crossing a torrent from the Aiguille du 
Grand Fond, the latter way follows the 
rt. bank of the torrent until, nearly 1 hr. 
below Chapiu, it crosses to the chalets 
of Gray Betel on the opposite bank. 
About 2^ hrs. are required to reach 
Bonneval, at the junction of the Ver- 
soie from the NE. with the Val de 
Bellaval. A brighter vegetation offers 
an agreeable change from the stern 
barrenness through which the track 
has lain for several hours. The path 
returns to the rt. bank of the stream, 
now called Versoie, and, keeping at a 
considerable height above it, descends 
to the road leading from Scea to Bourg 
St. Maurice, at a short distance from 
that town (§ 1 1, Rte. A), which is rather 
less than 1 br» from Bonneval, and 
nearly 11 hrs. from St. Maxime de 
Beaufort by this route. 

2. By the Col de VAllee. This way 
is shorter, and quite equal in point of 
scenery to that by the Col du Bon- 
homme. The path mounts along the 1. 
bank of the torrent for about an hour 



136 



SOUTH SAVOY ALPS. § 12. ALBERTVILLE DISTRICT. 



above the opening of the Yal de Treicol, 
when a lateral valley is seen on the 
opposite bank, through which flows a 
stream that drains the N. side of the 
Aiguille du Grand Fond. The path 
ascends this lateral valley, at first on 
the 1. bank, and then crosses to the 
opposite side to reach the hamlet of 
Boselein, rather more than 3 hrs. from 
St. Maxime. About 3| hrs. are re- 
quired to reach the Col de VAJUe (pro- 
bably should be Col de la Lex), 6,454 
ft. in height, and to descend thence by a 
very steep path, which reaches the Yal 
de Bellaval just below Chapin. Rather 
more than 3 hrs. more, or about 10 hrs. 
from St. Maxime, suffice to reach Bourg 
St. Maurice. 

There is a pass from the head of the 
Yal de Treicol which joins the path of 
the Col de Cormet (see next Rte.) on 
the S. side of the latter pass. Instead 
of descending to Aime, it is possible to 
follow a path to the L, leading to Bel- 
lentre (§ 11, Rte. A), and it is probable 
that in this way Bourg St. Maurice may 
be reached in rather less time than by 
either of the routes above described. 
Further information is desired. 



Route G. 

ST. MAXIME DE BEAUFORT TO MOU- 
TIERS TARENTAISE. 

Moutiers being placed at the ex- 
tremity of a ridge which projects to the 
S. from the main mass of the mountains 
of Beaufort, it is reached by passes 
which join the valley of the Isere some 
miles to the NW. or NE. of the town. 
The way from St. Maxime lies due S. 
through the valley of Pontcellamot, by a 
mule-path which mounts rather rapidly 
along the rt. bank of the stream. Oppo- 



site the hamlet of Areche, where there 
is a cabaret, a branch of the valley 
mounts S\V. to the Col de la Bcithie, 
from whence La Bathie or La Roche 
Cevins, on the high-road from Albert- 
ville to Moutiers, may be reached in 
about 5^ hrs. from St. Maxime. 

The lover of Alpine scenery will prefer 
to follow the main branch of the Yallee 
de Pontcellamot, along the path which 
keeps to the rt. bank, and after passing 
through a considerable pine forest, 
reaches the chapel of Guerin, 3^ hrs. 
from St. Maxime. Here the mule-path 
divides, and the traveller has the choice 
between two routes, of which the most 
interesting, especially to the botanist, 
is that to the rt., mounting by the 
chalets of Grande Combe to the Col de 
la Louze. The track descends to a 
chalet, called La Grande Maison, and 
after following the torrent for some 
distance, crosses the ridge which sepa- 
rates this from another parallel stream 
to the E., passes the village of Naves, 
and reaches the valley of the Isere at 
Petit Ceeur, about 5 m. NW of Moutiers. 
By the torrent descending from the Col, 
the botanist may find Eryngium a 7 pinum, 
Iihaponticum scanosum, and Sonchm 
Plumieri and on the Col Luzula pedi- 
formis. 

The L hand path leads in 2 hrs. 
from Guerin to the Col du Cormet, lying 
on the N. side of a summit called Cret 
du He. After descending to some 
chalets, the path follows the torrent, 
and then passes through a pine forest 
before reaching Granier, a village 2 hrs. 
from the Col, overlooking the valley of 
the Isere. The descent to Aime is made 
in J hr., and 3 hrs. more along the high- 
road suffice to reach Moutiers (§ 11, 
Rte. A), which by this route is 10| hrs. 
from St. Maxime, and about J hr. less 
by the Col de la Louze. 



137 



CHAPTER V. 
GRAIAN ALPS. 



Section 13. 



LEY ANNA DISTRICT. 

Route A — Turin to Lanslebourg, by 

Lanzo and Groscavallo . 139 
Route B — Bonneval to Ceresole — Ascent 

of the Levanna . . . 141 
Route C — Ceresole to Lanzo and Turin, 

by the Col della Crocetta . 143 
Route D — Lanzo to Lanslebourg, by Ala 

and the Col du Collarin . 143 
Route E — Lanzo to Lanslebourg, by Viu . 145 
Route F — Passes to and from the Val di 

Viu 146 



Section 14. 
parad1s district. 

Route A — Turin to Aosta, by the Val 
Soana and Val de Cogne— 
Ascent of the Grivola . . 148 

Route B — Aosta to Cogne, by the Becca 

di Nona and Col d'Arbole . 153 



Route C — Aosta to Cogne, by the Mont 
Emilius and the Val de 
Grauson 155 

Route D — Cogne to Bard, by the Fenetre 

de Cogne .... 156 

Route E — Ponte to Tignes, by the Col de 

Galese 157 

Route F — Ceresole to Villeneuve in Val 
d'Aosta — Ascent of the 
Grand Paradis . . 159 

Route G — Cogne to Ceresole — Col de 

Gi'ancrou . . . .162 



Section 15. 
ruitor district. 

Route A — Bourg St. Maurice to Aosta 
— Pass of the Little St. 
Bernard .... 163 

Route B — La Thuile to Sainte Foi — 

Ascent of the Ruitor . 166 

Route C — Ivrogne to Sainte Foi, by the 

Val Grisanche . . .169 

Route D — Tignes to Aosta, by the Col de 
Gailletta and the Val de 
Rhemes ..... 171 



As stated in the introduction to the 
last chapter, we propose to confine the 
designation Graian Alps to the portion 
of the main chain lying between the 
Roche Melon and Mont Blanc, with the 
great mass extending from it to 
the east between the Val d'Aosta, 
or valley of the Dora Baltea, and 
the valley of the Dora Riparia from 
Susa to Turin. These two valleys 
form a perfectly natural boundary to 
the N. and S. The plain of Piedmont, 
into which the Graian Alps gradually 
subside, mark their eastern limit, while 



to the W. they are separated from the 
Tarentaise Alps (§ 11) by the upper 
valley of the Isere and the Col dTseran. 
To fix the exact links in the main chain 
which should form the boundaries be- 
tween its different members is always a 
somewhat arbitrary process: in the pre- 
sent case it seems most convenient to 
select the pass of the Little St. Bernard 
to the N„, and that of the Col de 
l'Autaret to the S., as the limits between 
the Graian and the Pennine chain on 
one side, and the Cottians on the 
other. 



138 GRAIAN 

The characteristic feature in the oro- 
graphy of this group is the huge tri- 
angular mass of rock and glacier which 
stands about its centre, between the 
valleys of Cogne, Savaranche, and 
Locana. This contains the two highest 
peaks— Grand Paradis (13,300') and 
the Grivola (i 3,028'), and is cut off 
from the main chain by the compara- 
tively low pass of La Croix de Nivolet 
(8,624'). S. of this central mass the 
principal valleys, containing torrents 
that spring from the main chain, are all 
directed from W. to E. On the W. 
side of the same central mass the val- 
leys of Rhemes and Grisanche run 
parallel to the Val Savaranche from 
SSW. to NNE., while on the E. side 
the Val de Cogne descends from SE. 
to N W. 

It might have been hoped that this 
group, containing the highest peaks of 
the Alps that lie altogether in Italy, 
would have attracted the attention of 
Italian geographers and men of science. 
This has not been the case; and the 
great map of Piedmont issued by the 
War Department in Turin gives but too 
evident proof that the officers engaged 
upon it have not only omitted to make 
a survey, but have not even penetrated 
into many of the upper valleys which 
they have depicted. Of the seven 
highest summits now known and mea- 
sured, but one — La Levanna — is laid 
down on the six-sheet map, and the posi- 
tion of many of the ridges and glaciers 
there represented is absolutely different 
from the reality. It is mainly through 
the energy and determination of mem- 
bers of the Alpine Club, and espe- 
cially Messrs. Co well, Tuckett, and W. 
Mathews, that the greater part of the 
Graian Alps is now tolerably well 
known, that the highest peaks have 
all yielded to the foot of man, and have 
been measured with more or less ac- 
curacy, and that several new glacier 
passes have been explored. The result 
has been to enlarge the bounds within 
which the Alpine traveller may gratify 
his love for scenery of the grandest 
character, without entirely removing 



ALPS. 

the attraction which the unknown 
usually exerts upon him ; for several 
tine peaks, such as the Grand Apparei 
and the Tour de St. Pierre, remain still 
unascended, and there is much room 
for new exploration among the peaks 
and glaciers that lie between the 
Levanna and the Roche Melon. 

The Graian Alps are naturally di- 
vided into three districts by the valleys 
of Savaranche and Locana, which meet 
at the pass of La Croix de Nivolet, and 
are connected with the head of the 
valley of the Isere by the Col de Galese. 
S. of the Val Locana is the district 
which we shall designate by the name 
of its best known, and probably its 
highest summit — the Levanna. N. of 
the same valley, and E. of the Val 
Savaranche, is the central group, 
forming, with its outliers, the Paradis 
district, while the ridges and valleys 
VV. of Val Savaranche may most con- 
veniently be called the Ruitor district, 
from the massive glacier-clad mountain 
which is so conspicuous in most pano- 
ramic views of this portion of the 
Alps. 

With the exception of the inn near 
Ceresole in the Val Locana, this part of 
the Alps is very ill provided with ac- 
commodation for travellers. Even at 
Cogne, which only needs a good inn to 
be a place of much resort, the provision 
for travellers is extremely limited. 
Some improvement in this respect is, 
however, apparent, and every year does 
something to improve those existing, 
and to add new inns. In the chief 
villages of the southern valleys tole- 
rable quarters may generally be found. 
The valleys that lead to the Val d'Aosta 
are far poorer, and worse provided. 
The patois spoken is not easily under- 
stood by strangers. The best rule by 
which to make oneself intelligible is to 
use French words, applying the Italian 
pronunciation to each syllable as it is 
written. 



ROUTE A. — VALLEY OF LANZO. 



139 



SECTION 13. 

LEVANNA DISTRICT VALLEYS OF 

VI1>, ALA, AND GROSCAVALLO. 

Between the valley of the Oreo, or 
Val Locana, and that of the Dora 
Riparia, four mountain ridges extend 
to the eastward from the dividing range 
of the Alps, and enclose the three 
valleys of Viu, Ala, and Groscavallo. 
These valleys communicate with the 
head of the valley of the Arc by seve- 
ral high glacier passes, which are but 
rarely used by the natives, and scarcely 
ever traversed by strangers. The en- 
tire district, though said to abound in 
fine scenery, has been strangely ne- 
glected by all but persons locally con- 
nected with it. The editor is forced 
to acknowledge his own want of per- 
sonal knowledge, nor has he been 
fortunate in obtaining much information 
from others. The greater part of the 
details given in the present section are 
derived from a woik published in 
Turin in 1823 — ' Lettres sur les Vallees 
de Lanzo, par Louis Francesetti, Comte 
de Mezzenile.' The writer, who was a 
landed proprietor in the district, ap- 
pears to have been an intelligent ob- 
server, but of course his statements, 
when not resting on his own testimony, 
do not deserve implicit confidence. Par- 
ticulars which were doubtless accurate 
forty years ago may have ceased to be so 
since, and it is hoped that further and 
more recent information may be intro- 
duced in future editions of this work. The 
distances given in Joanne's 'Itineraire de 
la Savoie' for most of the passes included 
in this section are considerably under- 
stated. 

Route A. 

TURIN TO LANSLEBOURG, BY LANZO 
AND GROSCAVALLO. 



Lanzo 
Ceres . 
Groscavallo . 
Col de Girard 
Bonneval 
Lanslebourg 



Hrs.' walking Eng. miles 

. . h m 

. 3 9 
S| 10 
H 10 



24£ 



13£ 
69 



Carriage-road from Turin to Ceres — 
mule-path from Ceres to Forno di 
Groscavallo — glacier-passes thence to 
Bonneval, requiring a good guide. The 
way by the Col di Sea is nearly 2 hrs. 
longer than that by the Col de Girard. 

This is a very interesting route, lying 
in great part through very beautiful 
scenery, and involving a choice between 
two fine glacier passes. This and the 
following routes are offered to moun- 
taineers passing from Turin into Savoy, 
as in every way more attractive than the 
beaten track of the Mont Cenis. 

Omnibuses ply several times in the 
day, between Turin and Lanzo, in 4 
hrs* (fare 1 fr.). The road passes 
through Caselle and Cirie, and as the 
mountains begin to close on either hand 
upon the river Stura, the Eremo di 
Lanzo, an ancient Carmelite monastery, 
commanding a remarkable view, is seen 
on the rt. 

Lanzo is a small town, about 1,500 ft. 
above the sea, very beautifully situated 
at the junction of the Tesso with the 
Stura, a short distance from the point 
where the united stream quits the 
mountains to enter the plain of Pied- 
mont N. of Turin. At Lanzo the Stura 
has already united in its bed the tor- 
rents which drain all the three valleys 
described in this section, each of which 
bears the same name as the main 
stream. The Shim di Groscavallo 
and Stura di Ala unite at Ceres to form 
the Stura di Lanzo, which, about 7 m. 
lower down, opposite Traves, receives 
the Stura di Viu. [A very agreeable 
excursion may be made from Lanzo 
to Coazzolo and Monastero in the Val 
di Tesso, a valley richly clothed with 
chestnut, walnut, and various fruit trees. 
From Monastero a path traverses the 
ridge of the mountain to the W. 
(about 3,600'), which separates it from 
Ceres, and there are doubtless other 
paths over the higher range to the N., 
leading to Locana in the valley of the 
Oreo (§ 14).] At Lanzo the traveller 
should not miss seeing the Ponte della 
JRocca, a remarkable bridge, spanning 
the Stura by a single arch. It was 



140 



GRAIAN ALPS. § 13. LEVANNA DISTRICT. 



built in the 14th century, and its his- 
tory having been forgotten, the skill of 
the unknown architect has received the 
popular compliment involved in the 
name Pont du Diable, by which it is 
often known. On the top of a rocky 
point, 3,059 ft. in height, and about 1 
hr. from Lanzo is the curious sanctuary 
of St. Ignatius. The church was built 
round the pointed rock which forms the 
summit, and this has been left in its 
natural condition to serve as a pedestal 
for the statue of the saint. 

A fine new road has been lately 
completed from Lanzo to Ceres, passing 
along the 1. bank of the Stura through 
exquisite scenery. On the opposite 
bank, after passing Germagnano, is 
seen the opening of the valley of Viu 
(Rte. E), and 5 m. farther on, Mez- 
zenile (Rte. D), a populous village, 
composed of many scattered hamlets. 
The population of the Val di Lanzo 
earn their chief support as nailers, and 
from an early age the children are 
brought up to that trade. At the base 
of the mountain which separates the 
valley of Ala from that of Grosea- 
vallo — here commonly called Val 
Grande — stands the village of Ceres 
(2,354'), with two inns. * The one where 
we dined was clean and comfortable, 
the food good, and people civil. 
One or two carriages are to be met 
with at Ceres, and ours took 1^ hr. 
descending the valley to Lanzo — charge 
6 fir.' — [F. F. T.] The neighbour- 
hood of Ceres abounds in beautiful 
sceneiy, and two or three days may 
well be spent here. Among other 
excursions one may be made to the 
cavern (called in the valley Creus) of 
Pugnetti, and another to the sanctuary 
of Santa Cristina, perched on an ex- 
tremely steep rock, 4,549 ft. in height, 
and commanding a very fine view. On 
the way from Ceres to Bonzo it is pos- 
sible to avoid the rough mule-path 
following foot-paths across the meadows. 
' In descending the valley from Bonzo, 
be careful to quit the path which leads 
along the 1. bank some time before 
reaching Ceres. Cross the dat, and 



traverse the torrent by a long wooden 
bridge which comes into view before 
reaching the point where the path 
divides.'— [F. F. T.] Between Ceres 
and Groscavallo the valley ascends very 
gently between richly wooded slopes. 
Many scattered hamlets are passed, and 
others are seen half-concealed amidst 
the rich vegetation. High up on the 
slope of the mountain to the rt. is the 
village of Vonzo (4,031'), scarcely seen 
from the path^ in the valley below is 
Chialamberto, if hr. from Ceres, and 
f hr. farther, Bonzo, where the moun- 
tains on either side approach closer to 
the stream. About a mile bevond 
Bonzo, near the hamlet of Miglieres, 
the path to the Col della Crocetta 
(Rte. C) diverges to the rt.,and 2 m. 
farther, 3^ hrs. from Ceres, is the chief 
village of the Val Grande. 

Groscavallo (3,609'), like most of the 
villages in this district, composed of 
numerous scattered hamlets, that con- 
taining the church being considered the 
chief amongst them. The high snowy 
range enclosing the head of the valley, 
which has been occasionally seen since 
the path reached Chialamberto, now 
comes fully into view, and contrasts 
finely with the green pastures of the 
foreground. Walnut trees are still 
seen to grow here, and extend even as 
far as the next and highest village, 
Forno (4,05 6'), about 2 m. farther up 
the valley. From hence the Col di Piccola 
leads N, over the ridge to Ceresole in 
the valley of the Oreo. 

The upper part of the Val Grande 
has frequently suffered from formidable 
landslips, similar in their nature and 
cause to that of the Rossberg in 
Switzerland^ the last recorded hap- 
pened on June 2, 1789, and is de- 
scribed in the Memoirs of the Royal 
Academy of Turin by the Comte 
Amedee de Ponsillon. It has been 
apprehended that the valley is again 
threatened with a similar catastrophe. 

At Forno two glacier streams unite 
to form the Stura, each of them lead- 
ing to a pass connecting the head of 
the Val Grande with that of the valley 



ROUTE A. ASCENT 



OF THE LEVANNA. 



141 



of the Arc in Savoy. The more direct 
and less difficult of these is the Col de 
Girard, reached by the rt hand, or 
more northerly, of the two upland glens 
that meet at Forno. After passing the 
chalets of Gura, the path approaches 
the lower part of the glacier descending 
from the Col. It is said that it was 
formerly possible to ascend directly by 
the glacier, but that it has become so 
crevassed as to be now impracticable. 
The way now taken mounts to the rt. 
up the southern slope of the Levanna 
by extremely steep rocks and slopes of 
debris. Fully 41 hrs. from Forno are 
required to reach the summit, which 
lies immediately S. of the highest ridge 
of the Levanna ; 3^. hrs. suffice for 
those travelling in the opposite direc- 
tion to descend to Forno. The view is 
said to be very fine. On the W. side 
of . the Col a glacier slopes with a 
gentle inclination towards the valley of 
the Arc; it is necessary to bear to the 
rt. during the descent, and about half- 
way down the increasing size and 
number of the crevasses makes it ex- 
pedient to gain the rt. bank of the 
glacier, which is one of the principal 
sources of the Arc. After reaching^ the 
highest chalets a path leads to Ecot, 
and thence to Bonneval, which may be 
reached in rather less than 3 hrs. from 
the Col, but at least 4 hrs. are required 
for the ascent on this side. 

The pass of the Col de Sea, longer 
and more difficult than that of the Col 
de Girard, is approached through the 
wild valley which mounts to the SW. 
from Forno. At a short distance from 
the village, on the S. side of the torrent, 
is the famous sanctuary of the Madonna 
del Forno di Groscavallo, commanding a 
very fine view of the amphitheatre of 
rock and glacier enclosing the head of 
the valley. The chureh was in 1823 
surrounded by a grove of very fine 
beech, sycamore, and ash trees, which 
had been spared by the destructive axe 
of the wood -cutter. The gorge of Sea, 
through which the track mounts to the 
highest chalets, is wild and savage, in 
places nearly closed by the huge masses 



of fallen rock amidst which the path is 
carried. Above the chalets a path 
crosses the torrent, and mounts to the 
eastward along the steep S. slope to the 
foot of the glacier, the lower part of 
which is said to be much crevassed, and 
exposed to the fall of rocks and ice 
from the ledges of the Mont Aibaron, 
which separates this pass from the Col 
du Collarin (Rte. D). The upper part 
of the glacier is easy, and leads to 
the ridge, usually bare of snow in 
the month of August. Fully 6 hrs. 
from Groscavallo, or nearly 5i from 
Forno, are required to reach the sum- 
mit. On the Savoy side a steep slope 
of neve leads down to the glacier of 
Ewettes, descending to the NW. After 
more than 2 hrs. from the top the 
glacier is left behind, and an easy but 
rather long descent by Alpine pastures 
leads to Ecot, and in 2 m. farther to 
Bonneval. The descent from the sum- 
mit requires nearly 4 hrs., or in all 
about 10 hrs. from Groscavallo. Neither 
of the above passes should be attempted 
without an experienced guide, and the 
ordinary requisites for glacier travelling, 
the rope and ice-axe. 

The track from Bonneval to Lansle- 
bourg is described in § 11, Rte. B. 

Starting from Turin by an early car- 
riage from Lanzo, it would be easy to 
reach Lanslebourg in two days by the 
Col de Girard, sleeping on the way at 
Groscavallo or at Forno. If taken in 
the opposite direction it would be 
necessary to give previous notice to 
Culet, the innkeeper at Bonneval, who 
is himself the best guide to these 
passes, in order to avoid a long delay 
at Bonneval, which might make it im- 
possible to pass the Col on the same 
day. 



Route B. 

BONNEVAL TO CERE SOLE ASCENT OF 

THE LEVANNA. 

Looked at from the side of Italy, the 
Levanna presents a salient angle, pro- 
jecting to the E. from the course of the 



142 



GRAIAN ALPS, § 13. LEVANNA DISTRICT. 



main chain of the Alps, very much in 
the same manner as the Monte Viso. 
The head of the valley of the Arc drains 
its W. face towards Savoy, and is 
enclosed between two ridges, both di- 
verging from the topmost peak. That 
to the SE. is traversed by the Col de 
Girard, described in the last Rte., while 
to the NW. another equally high ridge 
separates the valley of the Arc from the 
head of the Val Locana. Over this 
latter ridge lies the pass of the Col de 
Carro, very little used at present, though 
conveniently placed for a mountaineer 
intending to explore the Graian Alps, 
as in this way he may easily reach 
Ceresole on the second day from Geneva 
or Lyons. 

Following the rt. bank of the Arc 
above Bonneval (§ 11, Rte. B), the 
traveller soon reaches one of the most 
striking scenes of ruin to be found in 
the Alps. A tract covered with huge 
broken rocks, called Clapier de la 
Tralenta, marks the site of a bergfall 
which is believed to have overwhelmed 
the original village of Bonneval. It is 
said that portions of rude masonry may 
be traced beneath some of the blocks. 
About 40 min. above Bonneval is 
'jEcot (6,775 ; )i the highest hamlet in the 
valley, where a little rye is sometimes 
ripened. The ascent continues a little 
N. of E. along the N. side of a buttress 
descending from the Levanna, and in 
2-J hrs. approaches near to the source of 
the Arc (8,993'), where a considerable 
stream fed by the snows of the upper 
part of the mountain breaks out from 
the rock. The direct way to the Col 
leaves this a little to the rt. and mounts 
towards the NE. in a gorge which 
finally leads in lj hr. farther to the 
summit of the ridge. The Col de Carro 
is probably about 10,000 ft. in height, 
but it commands little view, being com 
manded to the E. and S. by the mass of 
the Levanna. 

The glacier on the Italian side is 
much crevassed and requires caution. 
It leads down to the Alp of Cernera, 
reached in 1 hr. or less, descending from 
the Col. A little lower down a small 



lake is passed, and the track from the 
Col de Galese (§ 14, Rte. E) is gained. 
From thence the way is clear to Ceresole, 
which is reached in about 3j hrs. from 
the summit. 

The only published account of the 
ascent of the Levanna is that given by 
Mr. J. J. Cowell in the first volume of 
4 Vacation Tourists.' The name of the 
mountain has evidently arisen in the 
valley of the Arc, where in the local 
patois levana, or alvana, means * in the 
east.' In the valley of the Oreo the 
mountain is called Becca a tre Corni. 

Starting from Bonneval at 6 a.m., 
with Jean Culets, the landlord of the 
inn there as guide, and with Michel 
Payot of Chamouni, Mr. Cowell 
mounted for about an hour to the E., 
leaving on the I. the track of the Col 
dTseran, when for the first time he 
gained a glimpse of the summit, hitherto 
concealed by the high and steep ranges 
enclosing the head of the valley of the 
Arc. In lj hr. from Bonneval they 
reached the last chalet, and soon after 
passed the foot of the glacier descending 
from the Col de Girard. Here the real 
ascent commenced: it led to moderately 
steep snow-slopes, which gradually 
narrow until they become contracted 
to a ridge terminating in the summit of 
the mountain. 

This ridge is described by Mr. Cowell 
as 300 yds. in length, faced on either 
side by precipitous walls of rock. These 
precipices do not meet to form an arete, 
but the higher of the two, which is on 
the Italian side overlooking the Yal 
Forno, is connected with the other by a 
steep narrow slope of snow, lying in some 
places at an angle of 43°. Advancing 
carefully along this slope, they reached 
the summit in 5| hrs. from Bonneval. 
From Mr. Cowell's observation of the 
temperature of boiling water, this 
appears to be 12,020 ft. in height, and in 
his opinion it is surpassed by two 
points in the range to the S. — the Cima 
di Ciamarella and the Mont Char- 
donnet. In the absence of means for 
accurate measurement this conclusion 
must await further enquiry. 



ROUTE D. — VALLEY OF ALA. 



143 



The highest point of the Levanna is 
formed by a huge slab resting upon a 
heap of smaller rocks, and on one side 
projecting over the edge of the precipice 
on the Italian side. It is not so high as 
to impede the view, and there is no need 
to incur the risk of mounting it. The 
panorama is, as might be expected, very 
extensive, reaching from the Monte 
Viso and the Pelvoux (?) to the 
Bernina and the Orteler Spitze (? pro 
bably the Adamello). Although it 
cannot rank as very difficult of access, 
it appears that the Levanna has not 
been ascended more than two or three 
times. 



Route C. 

CERESOLE TO LANZO AND TURIN, BY 
THE €OL DELL A CROCETTA. 

Mule-path to Ceres, fif hrs. Carriage-rGad from 
Ceres to Turin, 27-i m. 

This is the most direct and shortest 
way from Ceresole to Turin, and the 
scenery, if less wild, is perhaps more 
beautiful than by Locana. From the 
mineral springs at Ceresole (§ 14, Rte. 
E) the path crosses the Oreo and 
mounts at first to the S., but before long 
turns sharply to the 1., ascending 
through a larch wood. On reaching 
the Alpine pastures above the wood 
pedestrians may take a short cut which 
rejoins the mule-path near the foot of 
the final ascent. The height of the Col 
della Crocetta is 9, 1 79 ft., according to an 
observation by Mr. Tuckett, who crossed 
this pass in 1862, but he considers 
the result to be over the true height. 
The summit, which may be reached 
in 2j hrs. from Ceresole, is marked 
by a solid and unusually massive 
square stone pile, and commands a 
fine view of the Levanna and the snowy 
range to the N. In descending it is 
necessary to keep well to the 1. or SE 
In 40 min. the first chalets are seen, and 
it is then merely necessary to follow one 



of several paths which descend through 
the glen, and in 1 J hr. from the top reach 
the Val Grande, near Miglieres, about 20 
min. from Bonzo, or 2^ hrs. from Ceres. 
* The scenery of the Val Grande is most 
charming throughout the portion which 
I traversed.'— [F. F. T ] The way from 
Ceres to Turin is described in Rte. A. 



Route D. 

LANZO TO LANSLEBOURG, BY ALA AND 
THE COL T)U COLLARIN. 



Mezzenile 
Ala 

La Balme 

Gol du 'Collarin 

Averole 

Bessans 

Lanslebourg . 



Hrs.' walking 



t 

3 
H 
2| 

m 



Eng. miles 

7^ 
8| 
6| 
12 
7 

I 

54 



The valley of Ala is the narrowest, 
wildest, and most Alpine in character 
of the three included in this district. 
Like the way described in Rte. A, it 
would be possible to accomplish in two 
days the distance from Turin to Lansle- 
bourg, supposing that the traveller, 
arriving on the first day at La Balme, 
should find a guide competent to lead 
him over the pass, and ready to start 
very early on the following morning. 

About 6 m. from Lanzo the car- 
riage-road to Ceres is left on the 1. 
bank of the Stura near Pessinetto, and 
a bridge leads to the opposite bank, 
along which lies the way to Mezzenile 
(2,201'). About a mile beyond Mez- 
zenile, at the opening of the valley of 
Ala, the mule-path turns to the 1. 
through a rocky gorge, leaving on the 
opposite bank, in the angle between 
the two streams, the village of Ceres 
(Rte, A). In the shade of the moun- 
tain, which rises steeply on the 1. hand, 
the track passes the hamlet of Almese. 
The Stura continues for several miles 
to run through a rocky defile, with but 
few and occasional signs of human 



144 



GRAIAN ALPS. § 13. LEV ANN A DISTRICT. 



activity, until the path reaches a bridge 
of a single arch thrown across the river 
in a singularly picturesque situation. 
A rather steep ascent on the 1. bank 
now leads to the commune of Ala, con- 
sisting of a large number of scattered 
hamlets and groups of farm houses, 
the chief of which stands at 3,549 ft. 
above the sea. An extensive iron 
foundry has been established near the 
village, and has probably consumed a 
large portion of the magnificent larches 
that formerly adorned this part of the 
valley. In passing one of the hamlets 
above Ala the traveller may remark a 
small chapel built on the top of a huge 
block apparently fallen from the moun- 
tain above. The walnut trees disappear 
before reaching Mondrone (4,205'), 
about 1 hr. above Ala, near which 
village is a remarkable waterfall. The 
Stura di Ala first springs over a ledge 
about 30 ft. in height into a basin which 
it appears to have scooped out of the 
rock ; escaping from this basin through 
a narrow cleft, the stream rushes at one 
bound into a dark chasm, 130 ft. deep, 
between two perpendicular walls of 
rock. It is said that the only way to 
see this fall is to lie flat upon the rock 
and peep over the precipice. After 
passing the hamlet of Chialambertetto, 
the last village of the valley, La Balme 
is reached in 2^ hrs. from Ala, or hrs. 
from Mezzenile. Standing at a height 
of 4,845 ft., the village is often almost co- 
vered up in snow during the winter, when 
communication wuh the lower valley is 
sometimes interrupted for several weeks> 
Above La Balme the valley appears to 
be completely enclosed by a range of 
snow-capped summits, and the narrow 
gorge lying a little to the rt., and lead- 
ing to the actual head of tlie valley, 
attracts little attention. After crossing 
to the rt. bank of the Stura by a stone 
bridge, the path mounts on the southern 
side of this gorge to an extensive grassy 
basin containing the chalets of Mussa 
and a small chapel (5,84 1'). At the 
farther end of this basin, after passing 
some scattered larches, a path leads to 
the Bocher de Venoni (6,106'J— a large 



rock, which has been turned to account 
in the construction of a chalet, where 
several shepherds remain during the 
summer. From hence the ascent to the 
Col du Collar in commences by an ex- 
tremely steep path mounting the range 
of rocks W. of the basin of Mussa. 
When these rocks have been climbed the 
traveller has before him a fine amphi- 
theatre of glacier, surmounted to the rt. 
by a range of rugged peaks. The some- 
what discordant accounts of this and the 
neighbouring passes lead to the conclu- 
sion that the summit lying between the 
Col du Collarin and the Col de Sea is 
the highest in the range between the 
Levanna and the Eoche Melon, and 
that it is known by three different 
names, viz. Albaron, Punta di Ciama- 
rella, and Mont Taret. On the E. side 
of the Col the glacier is not difficult, but 
that which descends on the opposite 
side towards Averole is very steep and 
much crevassed, so much so, it is said, 
as to be impas>able at times. From the 
foot of this glacier the descent lies a 
little S. of W. to Averole, a hamlet 
surrounded by Alpine pastures near the 
head of a glen which pours a destructive 
torrent into the Arc a short way above 
Bessans. For the way to Lanslebourg 
see § 11, Rte. B. 

It is possible to pass from, the 
valley of Ala into Piedmont by the Col 
d'Arnaz, described in Rte. E. That 
pass lies at the W. extremity of the 
range which separates the valleys of 
Ala and Viu, and is generally ap- 
proached through the latter valley. 
According to M. Erancesetti, a very 
steep path diverges to the L from that 
leading to the Col du Collarin a little 
above the Rocher de Venoni, and in 4^ 
hrs. reaches a hollow called Crotas, 
completely surrounded by glaciers, 
from whence an ascent of hr. leads 
to the Col d'Arnaz, 



ROUTE E. — COL d'aRNAZ. 



145 



Routs E. 

LANZO TO LANSLEBOTJRG, BY VIU. 



Hrs.' walking Eng. miles 



Viu . 


. 3 


10 


Usseglio 


. 4 


12 


Averole 


. 9 


18? 


Bessans 


. 1| 




Lanslebourg 


. 2* 


8 




20 


52i 



The time required is about the same 
by the Col. de l'Autaret and the Col 
d'Arnaz, the former being longer, but 
the latter much more difficult. Char- 
road from Lanzo to Viu ; mule-path 
thence to Usseglio. 

About lj m. from Lanzo, after pass- 
ing the village of Germagnano, the 
Stura is passed by a stone bridge - r and 
the char-road leading to Viu keeps along 
the rt. bank of the Stura cli Lanzo for 
about ]±. m. farther to the point where 
the road, overlooking the junction of 
the Stura di Viu with the main stream, 
turns to the i to ascend the valley. 
The direction followed is nearly due S. 
for at least 3 m., till the Stura is passed 
by a stone bridge, and the road follow- 
ing the bend of the valley mounts to 
the E. along the 1. bank. Many scat- 
tered houses and small hamlets are 
passed, and from time to time the snowy 
peak of the Roche Melon, seen at the 
head of the valley, serves to enhance the 
beauty of the nearer scenery. About 4 
m. above the bridge is Viu, a large vil- 
lage (2,567'), with several rough country 
inns and. cafes, sometimes visited in 
summer by pleasure parties from Turin. 
The mountains to the S., over which 
lies the way to the Col du Lys (Rte. F) 
are covered with fine woods;, the chest- 
nut prevailing below, and the larch in 
the upper zone. After a walk of nearly 
2 hrs. from Viu, the mule-path, crossing 
the Stura at Forno di Lemie, and re- 
turning about 1^ m. farther on, reaches 
Lemie, whose church,, standing on a 
rock (3,1 00') t commands a fine view of 
the head of the valley. A short dis- 
tance above the village, a small chapel, 
standing beside a bridge over the Stura 



in a singularly picturesque situation, 
deserves notice. For at least 1 hr. 
above Lemie the path mounts rather 
rapidly, and then abruptly enters on the 
plain of Usseglio, evidently the filled- 
up bed of an ancient lake, covered with 
fields and meadows which contrast 
finely with the Alpine scenery of the 
background. Unfortunately the na- 
tives have recklessly destroyed the 
forests which once surrounded the up- 
per end of the valley, and fuel is now 
scarce. Several hamlets forming part 
of the commune of Usseglio, lie upon 
this plain which is nearly 3 m. in length. 
At the W. end are the church (4,215'), 
where is preserved a Roman altar with 
an inscription to Hercules, found on the 
mountain of Bella Comba, and the par- 
sonage, where a traveller may probably 
obtain lodging ; but it seems more ad- 
visable to sleep at some of the chalets 
higher up in the valley. 

A short distance beyond the church 
is a large building Galled the Fabbrica, 
intended for the preparation of the 
cobalt obtained from a mine in this 
neighbourhood. Here the valley of Viu 
may be said to terminate at the junction 
of two torrents of about equal volume. 
That flowing from the NW., called 
Stura di Arnaz, leads to the Col of 
that name, which is the most direct but 
difficult way to the valley of the Arc. 
The torrent flowing from the SW. is 
the Skira di Usseglio, fed principally by 
the glaciers of the Roche Melon, and 
through that branch of the valley lies 
the way to the Col de FAutaret, the 
least difficult of all those traversing this 
part of the main chain of the Alps. 

1. The path leading to the Col d'Ar- 
naz ascends the NW. branch of the 
valley^ reaching in about 1 hr. the 
Chalet de Peillot, and then mounts a 
steep rocky barrier called Pas de la 
Scala, above which a passage partly cut 
through the rock, as expressed in the 
name Taja de Fer, leads into the wild 
upland basin of Bella Comba, sur- 
rounded by ice-bound ridges of rock. 
Here an iron mine was formerly worked, 
and it is far more probable that the 



146 



GKAIAN ALPS. § 13. LEVANNA DISTRICT. 



Roman altar and inscription preserved 
at Usseglio should be connected with 
the mine, than with the existence of a 
pass used at that early period, as some 
writers have conjectured. The much 
easier route by the Col de l'Autaret, 
would in all likelihood have been pre- 
ferred by the Romans, as it has been in 
more modern times. Another steep as- 
cent over a rocky barrier of forbidding 
aspect conducts the traveller to the last 
step in the ascent. This is occupied 
by the Lago della Roussa, lying imme- 
diately under the fine peak of the Ai- 
guille de la Roussa. This lake is com- 
pletely frozen over, except for a short 
period during the height of summer, 
and even then it usually has consider- 
able masses of ice floating on its surf ace. 
It is reached in about 6 hrs. from Us- 
seglio. From the lake the ascent lies 
over glacier covered with snow or neve 
according to the season, and this leads 
in about 1^- hr. to the Col, which is a 
narrow passage through the crest of the 
ridge, 10,233 (?) ft. in height. The 
descent lies to the E. over another 
glacier, and when it becomes necessary 
to quit the ice and descend along the 
moraine, the way is sometimes rendered 
dangerous by the fall of blocks detached 
from the surface of the glacier. About 
2^ hrs. are required lor the descent to 
Averole, 4 hrs. from Lanslebourg (see 
last Rte.). 

2. To reach the Col de TAutaret from 
Usseglio it is necessary to follow the 
track along the 1. bank of the Stura di 
Usseglio, through the SAY. or L hand 
branch of the valley, passing the hamlet 
of Margone (4, 625'), beyond which is a 
fine waterfall. In 2 hrs. from the 
village the traveller may reach the 
chalets of Malciaussia (5, 896'), finely 
placed at the base of the Roche Melon, 
surrounded by pastures and fields of rye, 
which in some years ripen fully at 
this great height, after the seed has re- 
mained for 14 months in the ground. 
It would probably be possible to ascend 
the Roche Melon direct from these 
chalets, but the peak on this side is ex- 
tremely steep, and the peasants who 



make the pilgrimage always pass by the 
Col della Croce di Ferro (see next Rte.). 

The Col de l'Autaret, of which the 
ascent commences here, is a pass of 
great antiquity, possibly known to the 
Romans, and is said to have been at one 
time traversed by a postman, who con- 
veyed on horseback the letters from 
Turin into Savoy. Whether or no 
there be sufficient evidence of this, the 
tradi:ion is consistent with those of a 
similar nature which subsist in many 
parts of the Alps. It is indeed asserted in 
Joanne's ' Itineraire de la Savoie,' that 
the pass may now be traversed on mule- 
back; but the editor is assured by one 
who has traversed the pass, that this in 
its present condition would be abso- 
lutely impossible. A path mounts 
along the Stura, first by the 1. bank, and 
then by the opposite side, and disap- 
pears, after passing the highest pastures, 
when the ascent is continued by very 
steep rocks, supporting the uppermost 
shelf of the valley, whereon rests the Lac 
de l'Autaret. During the greater part 
of the year this lake is not visible, either 
because its bed is occupied by the 
glacier, or owing to its being completely 
bridged over by ice and neve. In some 
seasons it is not seen until the month of 
August. Above the lake, the glacier 
extending to the Col is rather steep, 
and it is usual to make a bend to 
the 1. to avoid the steepest part. The 
summit, marked by a gneiss rock pro- 
jecting through the ice, is said to com- 
mand a very extensive view. Its height 
is probably about 8.500 it., and it may 
be reached in 4 hrs. from Malciaussia. 
The descent on the W. side is rather 
long, but presents no difficulty. On 
reaching the base of some rocky slopes 
a path is seen, whieh leads in about 3 
hrs. from the Col to Averole. 



Route F. 

PASSES LEADING TO AND FROM THE 
VAL DI VIU. 

Besides the two passes connecting the 



§ 14. PARADIS DISTRICT. 



147 



Val di Viu with Savoy described in the 
last Rte., there are several others by 
which it communicates with the Val di 
Ala on the N., and the valley of Susa 
to the S. These are here enumerated 
rather than described, with the hope 
that future travellers will supply addi- 
tional information. 

1. Col di Cialmetta, from Mezzenih 
to Viu. A somewhat circuitous path, 
passing several hamlets, mounts from 
Mezzenile to the summit, where a small 
chapel (4,340') marks the limit between 
the two valleys, and commands a fine 
view on both sides. A steep path de- 
scends the bare mountain slope towards 
Viu, and another longer and easier 
winds through a forest. About 3 hrs. 
are required to reach Viu. 

2. Col de Tr el a jet, from Ala to Viu or 
JLemie. The slope of the mountain to- 
wards Ala was formerly covered by a 
very extensive forest, which has in 
great part disappeared, owing to the 
consumption of fuel at the iron foundry, 
and through the ill-management of 
the communes. The descent on the 
S. side to Lemie is said to be much 
steeper than to Viu. 

3. Pass from La Balme to the head of 
the Val d'Arnaz. M. Joanne, in his 
4 Itineraire de la Savoie,' speaks of this 
pass by the name Col de la Croix de 
Fer, but that name belongs to the pass 
mentioned below, leading from Malci- 
aussia to Susa. Two passes in the 
direction indicated are, however, laid 
down in the Piedmontese War Office 
map. 

4. Col della Croce di Ferro, from 
Malciaussia to Susa. A steep ascent 
of 1 J hr. leads to the summit (8,271')? 
which commands a magnificent view 
over the Combe de Susa, and the ranges 
of the Cottian Alps. From hence it is 
possible to descend to Susa by the 
chalets of Trucco, or to pass along the 
steep S. face of the mountain to the Ca 
d'Asti, and thence reach the summit of 
the Roche Melon in 4£ hrs. from the 
Col (see § 7, Rte. B). 

5. Col du Lys, Viu to Rubiana. An 
ascent of 1 hr. to the S. leads from Viu 

L 



to the picturesque village of Col di San 
Giovanni. From thence a walk of 3 
hrs. suffices to reach Rubiana, from 
whence the rly. stations of Aviglianaor 
Condove on the line from Turin to Susa 
are either of them distant about 2 hrs. 
Another way to Turin is by a pass 
leading from Col di San Giovanni 
to Val della Torre in 4 hrs., and 
thence to La Veneria. SW. from the 
village of Col di San Giovanni is the 
Monte Civrari (7,261'), one of the finest 
points for a panoramic view in the 
neighbourhood of Turin. It may be 
reached in 5 or 6 hrs. from Viu, and 
the descent to Rubiana requires 3 hrs. 



SECTION 14. 

PARADIS DISTRICT. 

In the introduction to this chapter the 
district included in the present section 
has been defined with tolerable accu- 
racy. The group of high Alps, whose 
culminating point is the Paradis, may 
be described as a triangular mass en- 
closed between the valley of the Oreo, 
the Val Savaranche, and the track 
which passes from the Val d'Aosta 
through the Val de Cogne, over the Col 
della Nouva, and down the Val Soana 
to Ponte on the Oreo. The two first- 
named valleys completely separate this 
from the Levanna and the Ruitor dis- 
tricts ; but to the W. of the Val Soana 
and the Val de Cogne is an outlying 
group whose highest points are the 
Pointe de Tersiva (11.503'?) and the 
Mont Emilius (11,677'), and which may 
be considered as an appendage of the 
mass of the Paradis. 

Within the last few years the accom- 
modation for strangers in this district has 
been considerably improved, and it may 
be hoped that this will be farther ex- 
tended as its attractions become more 
widely known. In the Val Locana 
2 



148 



GRAIAN ALPS. § 14. PARADIS DISTRICT. 



there is an inn near the mineral springs 
of Ceresole, affording tolerable head- 
quarters for a mountaineer. At Val 
Savaranche a decent little inn has 
lately been opened ; and at Cogne, 
which is the natural centre of the dis- 
trict, though the accommodation is li- 
mited, a traveller bent on exploring the 
grand scenery of the neighbourhood who 
will apply to the cure, ML Chamonin, 
himself a good mountaineer, will be sure 
of obtaining useful advice, and will be 
directed to the best available quarters. 

In the Val Locana and its tributary 
valleys the Piedmontese dialect of Ita- 
lian is spoken, but in the lateral val- 
leys of the Val d'Aosta, and throughout 
that province, the native language is a 
French patois, resembling that spoken in 
Savoy. 



Route A. 

TURIN TO AOSTA, BY THE VAL SOANA 

AND VAL DE COGNE ASCENT OF THE 

CRIVOLA. 

Hrs.* walking Eng. miles 
Ponte . . . «H?> 30(?) 
Campiglia . 4 12 

Col de la Nouva . 3 7 
Cogne . . . 4i 12 
• AostabyPontd'Ael 5± 17 

25| 78 

Omnibus from Turin to Ponte, mule- 
path to Campiglia, foot-path thence to 
Cogne, rough char-road from Cogne to 
Aosta. The journey may be made in 
two days by a traveller who will put up 
with the wretched accommodation to be 
found at Campiglia ; but it is a better 
arrangement to sleep at Cuorgne or 
Ponte, and at Cogne. 

The country diligence, or omnibus, 
employs 6 hrs. between Turin and 
Ponte, passing through a richly culti- 
vated country with many thriving vil- 
lages and small towns, to Cuorgne (Inn: 
Leone d'Oro, very fair), a rather large 
manufacturing town at the opening of 
the Val Locana, or valley of the Oreo. 
About 1 hr. farther is 

Ponte (Inn : Al Valentino, tolerably 



good but rather dear), a village 1,589 
ft. in height, which has grown into a 
town since the establishment of a large 
cotton mill. It is most beautifully 
situated at the junction of the Vai 
Soana with the Oreo, and an afternoon 
may be very well spent in strolling 
about the neighbourhood, where every 
eminence commands noble views of the 
two valleys and the snowy chain which 
encloses them. A ruined tower on a 
steep knoll, and the church of Santa 
Maria, about ^ hr. .below Ponte, are 
indicated as particularly well worth a 
visit. Campanula, Elatines is found in 
shady spots near the river. The ascent 
of the Val Soana commences imme- 
diately after passing the cotton mill on 
the N. side of the town. This most 
picturesque glen, through which an 
abundant torrent rushes down between 
steep rocks amid the shade of fine old 
chestnut trees, with occasional glimpses 
of the plain of Piedmont or of the 
higher mountains around, is traversed 
by a paved mule-path, rather fatiguing 
to the feet, especially when descending. 
At Ingria the valley opens somewhat, 
and several hamlets are seen on either 
bank of the torrent. In ascending the 
valley 3 J hrs. are required to reach 
Ronco (3,090'), where coffee or wine may 
be had at a wretched inn, and, in case 
of need, beds for the night. 4 Hunger and 
fatigue alone can make it endurable.' — 
[M.] [Just before reaching Ronco the 
opening of the Val di Forzo is passed 
on the 1 , through which a track leads 
NW. to the Col de Bardonney, passing 
on the W. side of the Punta di Lavina 
(10,824'?), and seemingly the most di- 
rect way from Ponte to Cogne. The 
Col is an opening in the rocky ridge 
but 6 or 7 ft. wide, and about 9,680 ft. 
in height. To the W. are two peaks, 
called on the large map Pointe des 
Fourehes and Pointe des Sengies; be- 
tween these and the Tour de St. Pierre 
is the Col de Telleccio, a glacier pass 
mentioned below. The descent onthe 
Cogne side is over the Glacier de Bar- 
donney. Further information is de- 
sired.] 



ROUTE A. — VAL DE COGNE. 



149 



At Konco the main valley, which has 
hitherto risen towards theNW., turns due 
N- for about 2 ra. to the junction of the 
torrent descending from the Col di Reale 
( see below). The six-sheet map of Pied- 
mont, which, though often at fault in the 
upper region, has been made in the later 
editions tolerably correct as to paths 
and villages, places a village named 
Valprato at the junction of the two 
valleys. This is an error likely to mis- 
lead a stranger, as the hamlet of Val- 
prato, or Val Pra, is at the S. foot of 
the Col di Reale, 2 hrs. above the junc- 
tion, and the hamlet which stands at the 
place so named in the map is called 
Cordonera. It may be well at the same 
time to point out another error in the 
same map, which is also likely to lead a 
traveller astray. At the head of the 
Val Cam pea two passes to Cogne are 
shown, of which the 1. hand pass is 
called Col dell' Arietta, and that to 
the rt. Col della Reale. There is no 
doubt that the latter of these, as laid 
down on the map, is the true Col de 
la Nouva, while both the names above 
quoted properly belong to one and the 
same pass (hereafter noticed) which lies 
several miles to the eastward, at the head 
of the other branch of the Val Soana. 

Above Cordonera the NW. branch 
of the valley, called Val Campea, leads 
in about a mile to the poor hamlet of 
Campiglia (about 4,200'), reached in 
4^ hrs.' steady walking from Ponte. 
The descent occupies about 3 J hrs.. 
There is no inn, but lodging can, or 
could formerly, be found for the night, 
not worse than that at Ronco. Walnut 
trees are still seen at this unusual height. 
The head of the Val Campea, com- 
manded on the W. side by the fine 
peak of the Punta di Lavina, presents a 
grim and savage appearance, and the 
aspect of the rocky barrier below the 
Col promises a difficult climb. The 
ascent, though long and rather steep, 
presents, however, no obstacle worthy 
of notice, and the botanist will find the 
way shortened by meeting many in- 
teresting plants, among which Sapo- 
naria lutea and Silene vallesia are con- 



spicuous. It is necessary to keep well 
to the rt., especially towards the top, 
which in ascending from this side is 
fully 3| hrs. from Campiglia ; but 3 
hrs,, or even less, suffice for the descent. 

The Col della Nouva, 9,664 ft. above 
the sea, according to the mean of 
observations taken by M. Favre and 
Mr. Bonney, commands a very grand 
view of the range of Mont Blanc on 
the one side, and on the other looks 
over the Val Soana to the plain of 
Piedmont, and the Montferrat hills 
beyond Turin. The name Col deli 1 
Arietta is often given to this, as well as 
to two or three other passes in the same 
neighbourhood, but the name here used 
is the ancient and correct designation, 
the pass being called Fenestra Nova in 
Latin documents of the 11th century. 
By mounting a few hundred feet to 
the W. of the Col, this view becomes 
a panorama, which includes most of 
the principal peaks of the Graian and 
Pennine Alps. The descent on the 
N. side lies for about 20 min. over a 
small glacier, in part rather steep, 
but quite free from difficulty. When 
covered with snow the rope should 
not, however, be neglected, as the 
crevasses are sometimes numerous, 
or else the descent should be made 
along the rt. bank, avoiding the ice. 
Below the glacier the way lies along a 
rocky ridge, with little trace of path. 
To the rt. is seen the pass of La Fenetre 
de Cogne, leading to the Val Cham- 
porcher and the Col di Reale, and in 
about l| hr. descending from the 
Col della Nouva, the traveller gains the 
well-marked path leading from the first- 
named Col to Cogne, near to the chalets 
of Chavanis. Near here, on stony 
slopes of debris, is the only known 
habitat of a curious plant — Aelhionema 
Thmnasianum* A rather steep path is 
carried along the N. slope of the 
Val de Cogne, which descends about 
due W., and soon enters the region of 
the larch. In approaching the lower 
level of the valley, the path traverses a 
considerable ridge, which is cither the 
remains of a great landslip or an 



150 



GRAIAN ALPS. § 14. PARADIS DISTRICT. 



ancient moraine of large size, and a 
little farther reaches the level of the 
plain of Cogne. On the way a lateral 
glen — the Combe de Valeiylia — closed by 
a fine glacier of the same name, shows 
towards the S. the peak of the Tour 
du Grand St. Pierre (12,064'), and leads 
to Locana by the Col de Telleccio. 
Nearer to Cogne is the opening of the 
more considerable glen of Valnontey, 
leading to the Col de Grancrou (Rte. 
G), between the Rossa Viva and the 
Grand Paradis. After crossing to 
the L bank of the torrent by a solid 
bridge, a good road, nearly level, 
leads in 2j hrs., descending from 
Chavanis, to Cogne, the chief village of 
the valley, just 5,000 ft. above the sea, 
long known for its considerable mines of 
rich iron ore. The only inn was closed 
in 1862, but travellers could lodge in 
an old tower containing one or two 
decent rooms, and, by reference to the 
cure, would obtain food and necessaries. 
P. Jacquin, a garde-chasse and good 
mountaineer, lives in the same build- 
ing. The cure of Cogne, M. Chamo- 
nin, has been one of the most persever- 
ing and successful explorers of the 
Grivola (see below), and his information 
and advice should be sought by anyone 
wishing to undertake new expeditions 
among the neighbouring peaks and 
glaciers. The iron mines, which have 
been abandoned during the last few 
years— not from deficiency of ore, for 
this is believed to be inexhaustible, but 
owing to the heavy expense of working 
at so great a height — are about 2^ hrs. 
from Cogne, and are said to be well 
worth a visit. The excursion which is 
sure to attract most visitors to Cogne 
who may not think of attempting the 
comparatively formidable ascent of the 
Grivola, is that to the rocks of Le 
Poucet, also written Les Poussets, well 
known to most English readers by the 
interesting account of it given in Mr. 
King's 'Italian Valleys of the Pennine 
Alps.' Though rather laborious for a 
lady, it will be considered by a practised 
pedestrian but a very moderate expedi- 
tion. Less than a mile below Cogne, at 



the hamlet of Cretaz, a narrow glen 
opens to the SW., through which a 
mule-track mounts some distance, and 
then turns to the 1, towards the Chalet 
;du Poucet, 8,248 ft. above the sea, 
about 3 hrs. from Cogne. On the way 
the traveller passes amidst ice-rounded 
domes and bosses of rock. A. short 
distance above the chalet commences 
a long and steep ascent of about 1,800 
ft., chiefly over debris, called in this 
part of Piedmont clappey, reaching up 
to the ridge which commands so re- 
markable a view of the peak of the 
Grivola. This is separated from the 
base of the pyramid by the upper basin 
of the Glacier of Trajo, and the inter- 
val thus placed between the spectator 
and the wonderful object standing before 
him very much enhances the effect. 
The only way in which any idea can be 
formed of a scene so much out of 
ordinary experience is by comparison 
with others that have some points in 
common. Probably the two views that 
will occur to Alpine travellers in con- 
nection with this are that of the 
Matterhorn as seen from some points 
on the ridge of the Theodule pass, and 
the Gross Glockner from the Hohenwart- 
scharte. The Matterhorn is altogether 
a more colossal peak, and in the dimen- 
sions as in the plan of its Titanic 
architecture quite unrivalled, either in 
the Alps, or, as far as we know, else- 
where in the world ; but it has not 
the peculiar gracefulness of form that 
characterises the aspect of the Grivola, 
nor does the eye take in its plan and 
proportions so complete. The Gross 
Glockner is a far nearer likeness to the 
Grivola. The height of both is about 
the same, differing by only 87 ft. 
Both are pyramidal peaks, laterally 
compressed, so that their faces are of 
unequal width. Of the Glockner the 
S. and W. faces — of the Grivola the 
N. and E. faces — are snow-slopes of 
extreme length and steepness, while 
the opposite faces consist mainly of 
rock. But while the Glockner, as seen 
from the SW., is still sharper and 
perhaps more elegant in form, there is 



ROUTE A. ASCENT 



OF THE GRIVOLA. 



151 



not any point of view from whence it 
is so well seen as the Grivola is from 
the Poucet. The Hohenwartscharte 
is a point in a snowy ridge which rises 
continually towards the base of the 
pyramid, while from the Poucet 
the level space of the upper glacier 
of Trajo furnishes the desired con- 
trast, enabling the eye to measure the 
steepness of the peak. From 9 to 10 hrs. 
exclusive of halts should be allowed 
for the excursion to the Poucet and the 
return to Cogne. 

The ascent of the Grivola is to the 
aspiring mountaineer who loves the ex- 
citement of climbing lofty peaks the 
grand object of a visit to the Val de 
Cogne. If we look to the main ridges 
that sustain the glaciers and snow-fields 
of the upper region, we may say that 
the skeleton of the central triangular 
mass forming the nucleus of the Graian 
Alps consists of three ridges, which 
diverge from the Grand Paradis as a 
centre. The south-western and least 
considerable of these, including the 
summits of the Cima di Charforon 
and La Cocagna, terminates at the pass 
of La Croix de Nivolet. The eastern 
ridge, which culminates in the Tour de 
St. Pierre, is limited by the Col della 
Nouva, unless we consider the range 
which separates the Val Champorcher 
from the Val Soana as its eastern pro- 
longation. The northern ridge rises at 
first into the fine points called Pointe de 
FHerbetet and La Grande Serre, then 
sinks a little to the Col de Lauzon, 
and rises at its N. extremity to con- 
front the great range of the Pennine 
Alps in the daring and beautiful 
pyramidal peak of the Grivola, or 
Come de Cogne, Although it is con- 
spicuous in all the distant views of this 
region by its great height and remark- 
able form, it is so far buttressed round 
by minor masses that it is not well seen 
from the valleys of Cogne or Aosta, 
and this circumstance has perhaps been 
the cause of the neglect with which it 
had been treated by Alpine travellers 
until within the last few years. The 
direction in which the ascent of the 



Grivola appears least difficult is along 
the S. ridge, formed of rock alternating 
with very steep snow-slopes. It was 
by this way that Mr. Tuckett made his 
first attempt, accompanied by four 
guides ; and the failure of the expedi- 
tion, after passing the night at a 
height of more than 12,000 ft., proved 
the impossibility of effecting the ascent 
in that direction. The next attempt 
was made, like the preceding one, from 
the side of Val Savaranche, by Messrs. 
J. Ormsby and R. Bruce, with Ambroise 
Dayne, and J. Chabot, two gardes-chasse 
of that valley, Zaehary Cachat of Cha- 
mouni, and Jean Tairraz, landlord of 
the hotel at Aosta, as guides. The as- 
cent was accomplished by one of several 
formidably steep gullies, or couloirs, 
which furrow the SW. face of the 
peak, and lead up to the highest ridge, 
but not, as it would appear, to the 
highest point of that ridge. Both these 
expeditions, made in 1859, are described 
in the Second Series of 'Peaks, Passes, 
and Glaciers.' In August 1861, Messrs. 
W. Mathews and Jacomb attempted 
to repeat the ascent by the same route 
as that taken by Mr. Ormsby, but their 
guide, Jean Tairraz, who had joined in 
both the preceding expeditions — was 
unable to retrace the exact way by which 
the previous ascent had been effected. 
About a fortnight later, M. Chamonin, 
the cure of Cogne, who had already 
made two attempts whieh served to set 
him on the right track r reached the 
highest point of the mountain by a 
route which s^ems to present no unusual 
difficulties, and will doubtless be adopt- 
ed by all future travellers. Starting 
from the Chalet du Poucet at 4 a.m. 
with a chasseur named Pierre Jacquin, 
and P. Ferrod, a herdsman, they 
climbed for \ hr. along the ridge 
of Le Poucet, and reached the edge 
of the Glacier de Trajo at 6 a.m. 
One hr. sufficed for the passage of 
the glacier to the base of the peak, 
and 2f hrs. for the final climb, which 
led them to the top at 9.45 a.m. The 
descent to the ridge of the Poucet 
occupied 3 hrs., and 4 hrs. more took 



152 



GRAIAN ALPS. § 14. PARADIS DISTRICT. 



the party to the village of Cogne. The 
result has been to bring the ascent of 
one of the most remarkable peaks of 
the Alps within the reach of all practised 
mountaineers. In 18 02 the summit was 
reached by Mr. Tuckett, and again by 
Messrs. Mathews and Bonney-; the 
latter gathered Campanula cenisia at a 
height of 12,047 ft. The peak is com- 
posed of crystalline slates, in which 
chlorite and mica alternately predo- 
minate. We adopt provisionally the 
height derived by Mr. Mathews from a 
careful discussion of his own and other 
observations — 13,028 ft. 

For the routes from Cogne to Aosta 
by the Col d'Arbole and the Becca di 
Nona, or by the Mont Emilius and the 
Yal de Grauson, see Etes. B and C. 
The passes leading to the Val Sava- 
ranche are little known, and further 
information is much desired. Those 
presenting least difficulty are the Col 
ties Hayes Noires (about 9,680')* and 
the Col de Lauzon (about 9,500'), both 
reached from Cogne by the Yallon de 
Lauzon. The latter and more southerly 
of the two is sometimes called Col de la 
Combe de Cogne. Farther S. and close 
to the Grande Serre is the Col de VHer- 
betet, about 10,000 ft, in height. On the 
N. side of the Grivola the Col de Mes- 
oncles offers another practicable pass to 
the Yal Savaranche. 

The Yal de Cogne, which opens out 
to give space for cultivation in the 
neighbourhood of its chief village, is 
soon hemmed in between the mountains 
on either hand, and for a great part of 
the descent to the Yal d'Aosta it is 
narrowed to a mere gorge, through 
which the torrent forces its way often 
at a considerable depth below the char- 
road which traverses Epinel, Silvenotr, 
and one or two other small hamlets. 
The valley, which had descended from 
its head to Cogne about due W., gradu- 
ally bends to NW., and at last the 
narrow ravine whieh leads down to the 
Dora turns directly to N. The road is 
here carried along the rt. bank, and on 
the shoulder of the mountain by which 
it quits the valley it is fully 1,000 ft. 



above the stream. Thence it winds 
down to Aimaville, where an ugly mo- 
dern sham castle commands a very fine 
view of the valley between Yilleneuve 
and Aosta. An agreeable path along 
the rt. bank of the Dora, much prefer- 
able to the high-road on the opposite 
bank, leads to Aosta by Jovenceau 
and Gressan. 

The pedestrian should make a slight 
detour to visit the remarkable bridge of 
Pont d*Ael, sometimes written Pontel. 
This is reached by a path turning down 
to the 1. a short distance before the 
opening of the Yal de Cogne into the 
Yal d'Aoste. A steep descent leads 
down to the little village where the 
torrent, issuing from the Yal de Cogne, 
is spanned, at a height of 400 ft., by an 
arch intended to serve the double 
purpose of bridge and aqueduct. A 
Roman inscription, still perfectly fresh, 
seen over the arch on the N. side of the 
bridge, records its construction in the 
13th year of Augustus. Below the 
road a vaulted gallery, which formerly 
served to convey water, is carried across 
the arch, one entrance being in the 
village, the other on the opposite bank. 
From Pont d'Ael, which is 3 hrs. from 
Cogne, the pedestrian may reach Aosta 
by Aimaville in 2i hrs., or if his course 
be towards Courmayenr, he will find a 
track which leads in 1 hr. over the N. 
end of the ridge separating the Yal de 
Cogne from Yal Savaranche to Yille- 
neuve (§15, Rte. A). 

In addition to other very rare plants 
already noticed, many others have been 
found in the Yal de Cogne — e.g. Astra- 
galus alopecuroides, Valeriana celtica, 
Linncea bowalis, Sec. 

Between the head of the Yal de Cogne 
and that of the Yal Soana another way 
may be taken, nearly 2 hrs. longer than 
that above described, perhaps equally 
interesting, and less difficult in bad 
weather. Above Ronco, and near the 
hamlet of Cordonera, a branch of the 
Yal Soana, as has already been men- 
tioned, diverges to the rt. or NNE M 
and leads to the ridge separating 
the basin of the Oreo from the Val 



ROUTE B. — BE CCA DI NONA. 



153 



Champorcher. The highest hamlet is 
Valpra, or Valprato, fully 6 hrs. from 
Ponte. 4 If the traveller arrive late, the 
worthy old peasant, Giuseppe Darma, 
will give him his best welcome ' — [M.] 
N. of Val Pra is a pass called Col 
di Reale, or Col de Champorcher, com- 
manding a remarkably fine view of the 
Pennine chain and of part of the Graian 
Alps, but scarcely equal to that from a 
point above the Col del la Nouva. Ac- 
cording to M. Chamonin, the pass here 
called Col di Reale should bear the 
name Col delV Arietta, but that name 
has been applied to so many neighbour- 
ing passes that it may best be disused 
in future. The Col di Reale over- 
looks the upper end of the Yal de 
Champorcher, and following the track 
down that valley, the traveller may 
reach Bard from Ponte on the same 
day. By bearing to the 1., and re- 
mounting to the chapel of Notre Dame 
de la Neige, he will fall into the track 
from Bard to Cogne noticed in Rte. D, 
and after traversing the pass of the 
Fenetre de Cogne, may join the path 
from the Col della Nouva near to the 
chalets of Chavanis. To reach Cogne 
from Ponte by this route is a long day's 
work, requiring 13 hrs.' steady walking, 
exclusive of halts, 



Route B. 

AOSTA TO COGNE, BY THE BECCA DI 
NONA AND COL d'aRBOLE. 

13 hrs.' walk, exclusive of halts. 

The Becca di Nona is now well known 
to most Alpine travellers as offering one 
of the finest panoramic views — some 
think the finest — in the entire range of 
the Alps. This peak, 10,384 ft. in 
height, nearly due S. of Aosta, and 
about 8,500 ft. above the city, com- 
mands the entire southern declivity of 
the Pennine Alps from Mont Blanc to 
Monte Rosa. The principal peaks of 
the Graians are still nearer at hand, 
while there is not in its immediate 
neighbourhood any taller rival except 



the Mont Emilius, which fortunately 
does not cut off the most interesting 
portion of the horizon. It is to the 
Chanoine Carrel of Aosta, who has 
done much besides to illustrate his 
native valley, that the public are 
indebted for a knowledge of this ad- 
mirable point of view, and the litho- 
graphed panorama which he has pub- 
lished, and which is found on sale at 
Aosta and in Turin, serves as a guide 
to those who, reaching the summit with 
favourable weather, would study the 
topography of this, the grandest part 
of the Alpine chain. The name Pic 
Carrel has been very deservedly given 
to the peak by some local writers, and 
the name has, been adopted by the offi- 
cers of the Etat- Major at Turin. We 
have, however, retained the designation, 
generally known to travellers and to the 
people of the valley. The usual course 
is to ascend from Aosta, and return 
thither on the same day. Even to those 
who have made that excursion, the way 
to Cogne by the Col d'Arbole is 
strongly recommended as an indepen- 
dent expedition ; but an active moun- 
taineer may easily combine the two in 
a single long day's walk, which can 
scarcely be surpassed for grandeur and 
variety of scenery. It is hard to say 
whether the expedition may more 
advantageously be made from Aosta or 
from Cogne, as the views during the 
descent on either side are such as no 
one would willingly lose ; but the 
second is certainly the less laborious 
alternative, as the ascent is reduced by 
fully 3,000 ft. On the other hand, 
those who object to so long a walk may 
ride from Aosta to within a short 
distance of the summit, and this cir- 
cumstance has permitted many of our 
countrywomen to enjoy the ascent, of 
which one of them has given an in- 
teresting account in the pleasant volume 
called ' Alpine Byways.' For that 
wise minority of travellers who allow 
themselves time to enjoy fully the 
beauties of nature, and who have 
pursuits which give them an ad- 
ditional motive not to hurry over the 



154 



GRAIAN ALPS. § 14. PARADIS DISTRICT. 



ground, the best arrangement will be to 
ascend the Becca di Nona from Aosta, 
sleep at the chalets of Comboe, and pass 
on the following day to Cogne. The 
experienced mountaineer is aware that 
an ascent of nearly 8,500 ft. cannot 
be accomplished without labour, and 
will therefore be careful to make an 
early start from Aosta. For the Becca 
di Nona a guide is scarcely required, as 
the mule -path serves to direct the way, 
but local knowledge can scarcely be 
dispensed with for the pass to Cogne. 
In making the route from Cogne it 
would be sufficient to engage a guide as 
far as the summit of the Col d'Arbole, 
as from that point a mountaineer will 
have little difficulty in finding his way. 

After crossing the Doire on the S. 
side of the town of Aosta, the ascent 
commences almost immediately to the 
village of Charvensod, where a guide 
may easily be procured for the remainder 
of the ascent. From thence, amid near 
scenery and distant views of continually 
increasing beauty, the mule-track winds 
up the slopes which lead past the 
hermitage of St. Grat and the hamlet 
of Chamole, and finally across a ridge 
which forms the N. boundary of an 
upland valley containing the pastures 
and chalets of Comboe (about 7,000'). 
These belong to the Chapter of Aosta, 
and travellers are indebted to the 
Chanoine Carrel for having had one 
of them fitted up with a good room, 
clean straw, and a fireplace, and fur- 
thermore for the good path which leads 
from hence to the summit of the 
mountain. Permission to sleep in his 
house at Comboe, is kindly given by 
M. Carrel, when it is not required by 
himself or his friends. To describe the 
view from the summit of the Becca di 
Nona would involve a catalogue of the 
peaks of the Pennine and Graian Alps, 
which is best supplied in the panorama 
given with the next route. Those who 
wish to combine with the ranges of the 
Alps a wide prospect of the plains of N. 
Italy, must ascend the higher and more 
distant peak of Mont Emilius (Rte. C), 
but it may be doubted whether the 



view from the summit of the Becca 
plunging into the rich Val d'Aosta, 
which seems to lie immediately at the 
traveller's feet, does not more than com- 
pensate for this partial disadvantage. 

In the second series of ' Peaks, Passes, 
and Glaciers,' Mr. Tuckett has described 
a route from Aosta to the summit of 
the Becca di Nona, which seems to be, 
if possible, more beautiful than the 
ordinary way. Future visitors from 
Aosta will do well to mount by this 
new path and descend by the usual 
track. Taking a pathway which turns 
to the 1. above Charvensod, he mounted 
SE. towards Les Pouces at the NE. 
foot of the Signal Sismonda, and after 
rounding the base of a spur from that 
peak which cuts off the view of the 
Upper Yal d'Aosta, he entered the 
head of the glen of the Dard, which 
forms a beautiful cascade below the 
dark mass of the Becca di Nona, with 
the Matterhorn closing the view to the 
NE. In the lower part of the gorge 
of the Dard are some curious natural 
pillars, figured by Mr. Jacomb in 
4 Peaks, Passes, and Glaciers,' A path- 
way along a watercourse leads to the 
cascade, and the ascent continues by 
the slopes E. of the stream, past the 
Chalet de Ponteille, and up to a grassy 
ridge or col overlooking the pastures of 
Comboe. 

Travellers who take mules from 
Aosta or Charvensod employ 6 hrs. in 
the ascent and 5 hrs. in the descent, 
exclusive of halts at Comboe and on the 
summit. An active pedestrian may 
somewhat reduce the time in ascending, 
and save lj hr. in the descent. 

Those who take the Becca di Nona 
on the way from Aosta to Cogne need 
not return to the chalets of Comboe. 
Mr. Tuckett, who made the excursion 
with Victor Tairraz, of Chamouni, and 
Jean Tairraz, the innkeeper of Aosta, 
descended as far as a point named Gros 
Cez, and then turning to the 1. gained 
in 1 ! hr. from the peak the ridge SE. 
of Comboe, separating that Alp from 
the pastures of Arbole. The head of 
this upland glen bends SE. towards 



ROUTE C. MONT EMILIUS. 



155 



the Mont Emilias, but the proper 
course lies about due S. to a gap in the 
opposite ridge, which is reached across 
heaps of debris, passing two small lakes, 
and finally by pretty steep snow-slopes. 
This is the Col d'Arbole, also called Col 
d 'Arpisson, about 9,300 ft. in height, 
reached in 2| hrs. from the summit of 
the Becca, and in if hr. from the 
chalets of Comboe. The view from the 
pass, says Mr. Tuckett, was one of 
unexpected sublimity. Beyond the 
deep chasm of the Val de Cogne the 
noble forms of the Grand Paradis and 
the Grivola are seen in full grandeur. 
The descent on the S. side lies at first 
over debris, and then over a pasture, to 
some chalets, beside which stands the 
Croix d' Arpisson. This is beautifully 
situated, immediately overlooking the 
village of Epinel in the Val de Cogne, 
and the view of the Grivola is said to 
rival that of the Jungfrau from Miirren. 
A path zigzags down the mountain 
through a pine-wood, and in 2j hrs. 
of rapid descent j'rom the Col leads to 
another chalet. Instead of descending 
to Epinel the traveller bound for Cogne 
should here take a path to the L which 
reaches Crctaz in | hr., and in 15 min. 
more the village of Cogne. Travellers 
who fear fatigue may content themselves 
with the ascent of the Signal Sismonda 
(8,353'), one of the main buttresses of the 
Becca di Nona^and thence reach Cogne 
by the Col d'Arbole, or by the Col de la 
Vallette, about equal in height, and also 
commanding a noble view. 



Route C. 

AOSTA TO COGNE, BY THE MONT 
EMILIUS AND THE VAL DE GRAUSON. 

The Mont Emilius is the highest 
summit of the range, or rather group 
of mountains, lying NE. of the Val de 
Cogne. It is not likely to be so much 
frequented as the Becca di Nona, not 
merely because the ascent is longer and 
more laborious, but because the view, 



although more completely panoramic, 
loses one main feature, inasmuch as it 
does not plunge so directly into the 
Val d'Aosta, from which the Mont 
Emilius is partly separated by the 
Becca di Nona and by portions of the 
lower ranges E. of that peak. The 
excursion is, however, full of interest, 
and by ascending on the preceding 
evening to the chalets of Comboe, and 
sleeping there, there is no difficulty in 
reaching Cogne in good time on the 
following day. 

The editor has been favoured with, 
notes of the ascent made by Mr. W. 
Mathews and by the Rev. T. Bonney 
on the 1 2th of August, 1862. 

Starting at 4.40 a.m. from the Chalets 
de Comboe, they followed the upland 
valley which bends to the E. along the 
S. side of the Becca di Nona to the 
Chalets d'Arbole (8,228') : these were 
reached in 55 min. The head of the 
glen is closed by a small glacier lying 
between the Mont Emilius on the h 
and the Pointe de Garin on the rt. Two 
hrs. sufficed to reach the base of this 
glacier, above the small Lac d'Arbole, 
which must be one of the highest in the 
Alps, as the spot near the glacier where 
the party halted for breakfast was found 
to be 1 0,003 ft. above the sea. In cross- 
ing the glacier they bore to the 1. in the 
direction of the Mont Emilius, and 
after mounting a steep face of rocks 
soon reached the ar£te, formed of 
steep and shattered rocks, which led 
in 1 hr. from their halting-place to 
the summit, which by the latest obser- 
vations of the Piedmontese engineers 
is 11,677 ft. in height. The annexed 
panorama, for the S. part of which the 
editor has to express his obligations to 
Mr. Bonney, will give some idea of the 
magnificent view, certainly amongst 
the very finest in the Alps. The 
precipices on the side facing the Val 
d'Aosta are of extraordinary height 
and steepness, and the city is seen 
apparently at the base of the mountain. 
Saxifraga bryoides and Androsace gla- 
cialis were found close to the summit. 

After placing a mercurial minimum 



156 



GRAIAN ALPS. § 14. PARADIS DISTRICT. 



thermometer in the cairn which was 
found at the summit, Messrs. Mathews 
and Bonney re-descended the ridge and 
kept nearly the whole way along it 
till in 1 hr. they reached its lowest 
point, the Col de *Garin (10,393'). On 
sheet 30 of the large Sardinian map 
this Col is erroneously laid down as 
connecting the Yai d'Arbole with the 
head of the Val de Grauson. In 
point of fact, the E. side of the pass 
is occupied by a glacier forming the 
S. extremity of the Val de Lore, which 
joins the Val d'Aosta near Brissogne. 
\\ hr. E. of the city. Mr. Bonney is 
disposed to think that the summit of 
Mont Emilius might be reached from 
Aosta iu less time by that way than 
by Comboe ; but the height — very near 
10,000 ft. — would make the expedition 
rather too much for a single day's walk, 
and the good night-quarters found at 
Comboe entitle that way to a preference. 
The Val de Lore, may, however, be well 
chosen for a return route from the Mont 
Emilius to Aosta. This valley, and the 
pass connecting the glacier at its head 
with the Val de Grauson, would form an 
interesting route from Aosta to Cogne, 
requiring 10 or 1 1 hrs. exclusive of halts. 

To reach the pass to Grauson from 
the Col de Garin, the glacier above 
spoken of was crossed in 35 min. 
The Pas de Lore, found to be 10,049 
ft. in height, overlooks a wild glen, a 
tributary of the Val de Grauson, the 
head of which lies farther E. Rough 
slopes lead down to the highest Alpine 
pastures, below which three beautiful 
little lakes intervene before reaching the 
first chalets, 1 hr. 20 min. from the Col. 
Thence lj hr. sufficed to descend into 
the valley, and to reach the village of 
Cogne, which lies a short way below 
the junction of the Val de Grauson 
with the main -stream. 

The grand view of the Grivola gained 
from the Col d'Arbole is missed in this 
route, but the views of the Grand Paradis 
and the Glaciers of Monei and Grancrou, 
which remain in view during the de- 
scent from the Col de Lore, are scarce- 
ly less striking. The geologist will not 



fail to remark the extensive traces of 
ancient glacier action visible through- 
out the descent. 



Route D. 

COGNE TO BARD, BY THE FENETRE DE 
COGNE. 

For those who have already visited 
Aosta, and who wish to approach the 
Italian valleys of Monte Rosa by a new 
route from Cogne, this will afford a 
pleasant variety. Though very rough, 
the path is passable for a mule or horse 
well used to similar expeditions. The 
way from Cogne to the chalets of 
Chavanis is described in Rte, A. At 
that point the track to the Col della 
Nouva is left on the rt. hand, and a steep 
path mounts about due E. to a mere 
notch in the ridge which encloses the 
head of the valley. This is the pass of the 
Fenetre de Coyne (about 8,860'), reached 
in 4 J hrs. from Cogne, and the view from 
thence of the Grand Paradis is one of the 
finest in this part of the range. In the 
opposite direction the rugged summits 
of the ridge separating the Val Cham- 
porcher from the Val Soana are more 
striking than might be expected from 
their supposed moderate height. From 
the Col the path descends by soft and 
rather slippery soil to a dreary plateau 
watered by glacier streams where 
stands the Chapel of Notre Dame de la 
Neige. A short distance below the 
Chapel the path, after skirting the base 
of a high mountain on the rt. hand, 
overlooks the whole length of the Val 
Champorcher to Bard, and the traveller 
may also trace a path which crosses the 
ridge to the N. and descends through 
the Val de Fenis to the Val d' Aosta 
between Nus and Chambave. The 
scenery becomes more lively when the 
path reaches the pastures near a little 
lake at the N. foot of the Col di Reale 
(Rte. A), by which the Val Soana and 
the valley of the Oreo may be reached 
from Bard. From this point, which is 
I nearly 2 hrs. from the Fenetre, about 



ROUTE E. — COL DE GALESE. 



157 



4 hrs. are required for the descent to 
Bard, by an extremely rough and 
fatiguing path. The Val Champorcher 
is described in Mr. King's 'Italian 
Valleys of the Pennine Alps.' 

Bard (Inn : Sole, poor and dirty) is 
described in § 20, Rte. I. 

Another way from Cogne to the Val 
d'Aosta is by the Col de Pontonet, lying 
between the Pointe de Tersiva(l 1,053'), 
also called Pointe de Dorere, and the 
Tour de Pontor. The path leads from 
Chavanis to the head of the Val de 
Fenis, and thence to Chambave, about 
3 m, from Chatillon (§ 20, Rte. B). 
The height of the pass is about 9,350 ft. 



Route E. 

PONTE TO TIGNES, BY THE COL DE 
GALESE. 



Locana . 

Noasca . . . .2^ 
Ceresole, mineral springs 2 
Chapis .... 2 
Col de Galese . . 3 
Laval . . . . 3i 



Hrs.' walking Eng. miles 
2* 7£ 



Tignes . 



11 



6 
6 
6 
8 



Carriage -road for about 3 m. beyond 
Locana — mule-path from thence to 
Chapis. The passage of the Col may 
sometimes take more time than above 
indicated; it should not be attempted 
except in fine weather, nor without a 
guide. The only good halting-place is 
at the mineral springs of Ceresole, about 
i hr. below the village of that name. 

A good road, but dusty and hot for 
the pedestrian, leads from Ponte (Rte. 
A), through very fine scenery, to 

Locana (Inns : Leone d Oro, to- 
lerable ; Tre Pernici), a little old town 
with narrow streets. Above this place 
the scenery becomes wilder, but the 
prevailing tree is still the chestnut, 
which, with its rich foliage, contrasts 
finely with the nearer masses of rock, 
and the rugged peaks that form the 
background. The former passage of a 



great glacier is proved by the charac- 
teristic rounded surfaces of rock, which 
may be traced to a height of 600 or 800 
ft. along the retaining walls of the val- 
ley. [To the rt. is seen the opening of 
the Val Piantonetto, the upper part of 
which is called Val Telleccio; through it 
lies the way to the Col de Telleccio, be- 
tween the Pic d 'Ondezana to the E. and 
the Tour de St. Pierre to the W. The 
descent to Cogne lies over the Glacier de 
Valeiglia.~] At a poor little solitary inn, 
called Val Pra, refreshment and civility 
may be found by the passing traveller. 
Nearly 1 hr. farther is the wretched 
village of Noasca, whose miserable ap- 
pearance recalls to mind the couplet — 

Noasca, Noasca, 

Poco pane, lunga tasca. 

The Noaschetta torrent here descends 
from the N. through a wild glen leading 
to the Col de Grancrou, described in 
Rte. G, and immediately above the 
junction is one of the grandest scenes 
in the valley. In the midst of huge 
masses of granite the torrent, issuing 
from a rift in the mountain, forms a 
magnificent waterfall, close below which 
the path crosses the stream by a bridge 
formed of planks thrown from rock to 
rock. Above this is another fine water- 
fall, and the main valley bends to the 
S. of W., while two lateral glens 
mount towards the Grand Paradis, 
which is not seen from below. Keep- 
ing to the 1. bank of the Oreo, the 
muie-path mounts through the gorge, 
almost closed by huge masses of rock 
fallen from the precipices on either 
hand, and piled one on the other in 
Titanic confusion. Over the gap 
which marks the upper end of the 
gorge some snowy points of the Le- 
vanna are seen, and the path ascends 
more steeply by rude steps cut in the 
live rock — whence the passage is 
called Scalar e de Ceresole — till at the 
summit it emerges abruptly into the 
upper level of the valley, a broad, 
almost level plain, divided into barley- 
fields and rich meadows, enclosed by 
pine forest, and above these by rugged 



158 



GRAIAN ALPS. § 14, 



:. PARADIS DISTRICT. 



peaks, of which the chief is the Becca 
a Tre Corni — as the Levanna is 
called in this valley. To the left is the 
range over which lies the pass leading 
to the valley of Groscavallo, described 
in § 13, Rte. C. 

About 2 m. above the Scalare is a tole- 
rable inn, built near to a mineral spring, 
which attracts hither some summer 
visitors from Turin. It was not so 
well kept in 1862 as in preceding years, 
but offers, without comparison, the best 
head quarters for a mountaineer in this 
district, having, in addition to fair ac- 
commodation, the advantage of being 
4,864 ft. above the sea. The house is, 
however, sometimes occupied by the 
king when hunting in this neighbour- 
hood, in which case a traveller would 
be forced to resort to the wretched inn 
at the village of Ceresole, Ij m. farther 
up the valley. Very little is known of 
the range SW. of the Grand Paradis, 
separating the head of the Val Saw 
ranche from Ceresole. The three 
highest summits are called Cima di 
Char for on, La Cocagna, and Becca 
di Merlet, between these it is pro- 
bable that one or more passes may be 
found which would avoid the detour 
by the Col de la Croix de Nivolet 
(Rte. F). Above Ceresole the path 
continues along the L bank of the Oreo 
to the hamlet of Chapis, the highest in 
the valley, above which the compara- 
tively frequented path to Val Savaranche 
turns off to the rt., while the little- 
used track to the Col de Galese 
mounts due W., and the still more rarely 
traversed Col di Car'o (§ 13, Rte. B) 
lies SW. To reach the Galese the 
path mounts to the chalets of Serue, 
where the scenery assumes the most 
savage and stern character, and the 
appearance of the pass is so forbidding 
that no one would think of attempting 
it if unaware that it had been already 
passed. The path seems to come to 
an end at the base of a gully — called 
the Petit Coluret — in the face of the 
mountain, and, instead of attempting to 
climb up it, keeps to the rt. along the 
face of a range of steep and rugged 



rocks, overhanging a small lake. The 
ascent of these rocks is rather long and 
laborious, and 1 hr. from the chalets is 
required to reach a small plain or shelf 
in the mountain, called Bellotta, often 
covered with snow, and partly occupied 
by a glacier which descends on the 
1. hand. An ascent of f hr. T partly 
over glacier, leads to the base of the 
Grand Coluret. a very steep couloir, 
partly filled with snow, whose condition 
varies with the season and the tempera- 
ture. Under favourable circumstances 
it may be climbed in J hr., but at 
other times it may be necessary to cut 
steps with the axe, which would con- 
sume at least 1^ hr. The upper end 
of the Grand Coluret is close to the 
summit of the Col de Galese, which is 
from 9,500 to 10,000 ft. in height, and 
commands a very fine view of the 
Tarentaise Alps. From 3 to 4 hrs. are 
required for the ascent from Chapis, but 
the descent on this side may usually be 
made in much less time, as the channel 
of the Petit Coluret is composed of yield- 
ing soil, so soft that it is almost im- 
possible to ascend, but quite practicable 
in the descent. To descend the Grand 
Coluret when filled with hard-frozen 
snow, is an operation requiring the skill 
and steadiness of practised moun- 
taineers; the pass should therefore not 
be undertaken without at least one good 
guide, nor without the indispensable 
aid of rope and ice-axe. 

The Tarentaise side of the Col pre- 
sents no difficulty. A smooth and 
nearly level glacier is crossed for about 
20 min. in a direction rather N. of W., 
and after reaching the highest Alpine 
pastures, a sheep-track is found leading 
down a glen, which ultimately joins 
the mule-path of the Col dTseran at 
Fornet, about 2 m. above Laval, whence 
descending, Tignes (§11, Rte. B) may 
be reached in 1 hr., or in all 4 hrs. 
from the summit, but for the ascent 
from Tignes from 5^- to 6 hrs. are re- 
quired. 



ROUTE F. — VAL SAVARANCHE. 



Route E. 

CE RESOLE TO VILLENEUVE, IN VAL 
D'AOSTA — ASCENT OP THE GRAND 
PARADIS. 

Hrs.' walking Eng. miles 

Chapis .... 2 6 

Col de la Croix de Ni volet 2| 6 

Pont 2| fil 

Valsavaranche ... 2 6 

Villeneuve . S| 9| 

]£§ 34 

This path is practicable for mules. 
The distance is taken from the inn near 
the mineral spring, and not from the 
village of Ceresole. 

As mentioned in the last Rte., the 
track to the Val Savaranche turns 
to the rt. near the hamlet of Chapis. 
It mounts ravher steeply by the L bank 
of a torrent, and in about l| hr. 
reaches a little plain, a shelf on the 
steep side of the mountain, command- 
ing a very grand view of the head of 
the valley of the Oreo and of the Col 
de Gaiese. From this point the way 
to the summit is by a ragged buttress 
of rock, where no one would expect to 
find a passage, and this leads directly 
to the summit of the Col de la Croix 
de Nivolet. Although the lowest pass 
in the entire of this district, this is 
8,624 ft. in height, and fresh snow is 
generally found in patches near the 
top. The ridge which is now traversed, 
and which separates the head of the 
Val Savaranche from that of the Val 
Locana, is of unusual breadth, the 
upper level forming a slightly in- 
clined plateau of from 5 to G miles in 
length. A short distance below the 
summit, the striking peak of the Gri- 
vola comes into view, and contrasts 
finely with the dreary character of the 
upland plain, patched with snow fields 
and small lakes, across which the path 
lies. About half-way across the plateau, 
near to the largest of these lakes, is 
the Chalet de Nivolet, where, during the 
height of summer, herdsmen are found 
who willingly afford hospitality. They 
have spoken of building a separate hut, 



159 

with two beds, for the accommodation 
of strangers, but the editor has not 
learned that this project has become a 
reality. 

The position would be convenient 
for exploring the neighbouring ranges. 
Travellers coming from the Val d'Aosta 
who may wish to combine this pass with 
the Col de Gaiese, should be aware that 
from near the summit a rough path leads 
to the rt. from the main track, by follow- 
ing which the chalets of Serue near the 
base of theLittle Coluret may be reached 
in 2 hrs. from the Chalet de Nivolet. 

Of the Colde Bosset, leading from the 
lakes to the head of the Val de Rhemes, 
the editor has received no informa- 
tion. 

Beyond the chalet the plateau is 
traversed by a rocky ridge which has 
been flattened and rounded by the for- 
mer passage of a glacier. A large 
number of erratic blocks have been 
deposited on these smooth surfaces by 
the extinct glacier. Some of these are 
so nicely poised that a slight exertion 
would upset them, but it may be hoped 
that no traveller will be so stupidly 
barbarous as to cancel these records of 
the past history of the earth. 

After about 1 J hr. from the summit 
the path reaches the NE. end of the 
plateau, marked by a cross called Croix 
d'Aroletta (7,451'), at the verge of a 
steep descent leading to Pont, the high- 
est hamlet in the Val Savaranche. 
The view of the near mass of the 
Grand Paradis with its attendant peaks, 
and the range extending thence to 
the Grivola, is celebrated by all who 
have passed this way as one of the finest 
in the Alps. 4 A rough but well-en- 
gineered path zigzags down the cliff 
like an expurgated edition of the Gem- 
mi with the objectionable parts omitted.' 
— [F. F\ T.] The descent, as well as 
the whole upper portion of the valley, 
abounds with the evidence of glacial 
action on the grandest scale. After the 
bare and somewhat dreary aspect of the 
upper part of the Val Savaranche the 
traveller is well pleased to re-enter the 
region of pine forest which clothes the 



160 



GRAIAN ALPS. § 14. PARADIS DISTRICT. 



slopes below Pont, while the peaks and 
aiguilles which tower above them entitle 
this to rank among the grandest of Al- 
pine valleys. AtBien (5,263'), a hamlet 
about 1 m. above the chief village, Mr. 
Tuckett was hospitably received at the 
house of Jean Pierre Jocale, but a little 
inn (H. de Nivolet) has since been opened 
at 

Valsavaranche, also called Gioux, the 
chief village of the valley, 4.950 ft. 
above the sea. The inn, not that con- 
signed to notoriety by Mr. Ormsby under 
the name Marmots' Hole, is kept by 
Victor Blanc. It supplies at least one 
good bed and very tolerable fare, and 
the landlord is declared to be ' an excel- 
lent old fellow.' 

The natives of the Yal Savaranche 
appear to be generally honest and hos- 
pitable to strangers, who, perhaps be- 
cause of the fewness of their number, 
have carried away a very favourable 
impression of the population. Am- 
brose Dayne and J. M. Chabot, two 
gardes-chasse who live at Val Sava- 
ranche, have acted as guides to Mr. 
Tuckett and Mr. Ormsby in the two 
difficult expeditions against the Grivola 
narrated in the second series of ' Peaks, 
Passes, and Glaciers.' Both of them, 
especially Dayne. are good cragsmen, 
but, like most of the Piedmontese hun- 
ters, they are very inferior as ice -men 
to the experienced guides of Chamouni 
or the Bernese Oberland. 

[Thare is a pass from hence to Notre 
Dame de Rhemes (§ 15, Rte. D) which is 
said to be easy and practicable for 
mules ; and another, more interesting 
but more difficult, to Cogne by the Col 
de Lauzon (see Rte. A). Information is 
desired respecting both of them. The 
path for Cogne mounts in about 1^ hr. to 
the Chalet de Livionaz (7,600'), and f hr. 
farther reaches another solitary chalet, 
whence the way does not appear to 
present any serious difficulty.] 

Below the village of Valsavaranchethe 
path to Villeneuve keeps for about 2 J m. 
to the rt. bank, then crosses the stream, 
and returns in ^ hr A farther to the same 
side, for the most part at a great height 



above the ravine through which the 
torrent rushes down. On approaching 
the point where the stream from the Val 
de Rhemes bending to the IS'E. joins 
that of Savaranche, and both together 
are mingled with the Dora Baltea at 
Villeneuve, the traveller finds himself 
at a great height above the Val d'Aosta, 
overlooking that valley and the lower 
end of the Val de Rhemes, richly 
wooded and set with orchards and 
cornfields, with the range of Mont 
Bianc in the background. The paved 
mule-path by which lies the descent to 
Villeneuve is laborious and trying to 
the feet, both in ascending and descend- 
ing the valley. 

Villeneuve (§ 15, Rte. A) has a bad 
reputation among travellers for the 
absence of decent accommodation, 
civility, or even the convenience of a 
vehicle by which to escape from its 
inhospitable precincts, and it is best to 
time the day's journey so as to reach 
Aosta, 7 m. farther, on the same even- 
ing. 

Ascent of the Grand Paradis. This, 
the highest summit of the Graian Alps, 
was first attained in Sept. 1860 by 
Messrs. J. J. Cowtll and W. Dundas, 
both members of the Alpine Club, with 
Michel Payot of Chamouni, and Jean 
Tairraz, of the hotel at Aosta, as guides. 
The first ascent having been made dur- 
ing very unfavourable weather, and not 
without serious risk to the whole party, 
Mr. Cowell returned to the summit with 
Payot on the following day, and by this 
spirited proceeding enabled himself to 
complete the interesting account of the 
mountain which he has published in the 
second series of ' Peaks, Passes,, and 
Glaciers.' The close agreement betw een 
a boiling-point observation by Mr. 
Tuckett, and a theodolite observation 
from the Grivola, by Mr. Mathews, 
enables us to fix the height with great 
probability at 13,300 ft. 

From the hamlet of Pont, at the head 
of the Val Savaranche, a glen mounts to 
the SE. towards the Chalet de Mont 
Corve, where it is possible to pass the 
night previous to attempting the ascent. 



ROUTE F. THE GRAND PARADIS. 



161 



Two paths lead thither from Pont. 
One, a mule-path, winds round the 
steep slopes, and requires 1^- hr. for 
the ascent. The foot-path, which lies 
to the 1. of the other, mounts rapidly 
in 1 hr. to the chalet (about 8,200'), 
which is inhabited only till the middle 
of September. Milk and polenta, with 
hay to sleep upon, is all that the traveller 
can expect to find. Covering for the 
night may be borrowed at Valsava- 
ranche. 

The peak of the Grand Paradis lies 
to the E., and from its base three gla- 
ciers are seen to radiate — the Glacier 
de Montandeni, flowing towards the N. 
and then NW.; the Glacier de Mont 
Corve, descending due W.; and between 
the two the much smaller Glacier de 
Lausqueour, which does not descend 
into the valley. As far as it is pos- 
sible to identify the actual condition 
of things with a map not founded on a 
survey, it would appear that the authors 
of the large Ordnance Map of Piedmont 
have intended to represent the Paradis 
by the name Becca di Montandeni, not 
known in the valley, but apparently 
given by them to the peak seen above the 
glacier bearing that name. From the 
chalet the base of the Gl. de Lausqueour 
was reached by Mr. Cowell in 1 hr., 
and it was then necessary to climb 
the rocky barrier extending thence to 
the Gl. de Mont Corve, till after 
another hour a nearly level plateau of 
snow was reached which is bounded to 
the rt. by precipices overlooking the 
last-named glacier. The snow-slope, 
gradually increasing in steepness, forms 
a ridge bordering the precipices, and 
along this ridge, the snow being hard, 
it was necessary to cut steps for 2 hrs., 
and when this had been surmounted the 
topmost peak, or rather crest, of the 
mountain came fully into view. It is 
somewhat in the form of the roof of a 
gothic church, rising slightly towards 
the NW. end, which is the highest 
summit. From the point which they had 
reached, the travellers were cut off from 
the topmost ridge by a broad trench or 
corridor, which is in fact the head of the 



Glacier of Montandeni. The NW. and 
higher end of the ridge rises so steeply 
from the corridor as to be quite inacces- 
sible, and it was necessary to make a 
circuit towards the upper end of the 
corridor, and then mount diagonally 
along slopes of extreme steepness, 
varying from 45° to over 50°, and 
traversed by a crevasse or bergschrund 
which at the time was about 3 ft. in 
breadth. In 2\ hrs. this was accom- 
plished, and they reached the final 
crest of the mountain, an excessively 
sharp cornice of frozen snow, from 
which a few pinnacles and turrets of 
shattered mica slate project. There 
is not anywhere a square foot of level 
surface, except at the top of a crum- 
bling turret, and it was necessary to hold 
on by one hand to the rock while taking 
observations and otherwise engaged. 
The panorama, as is evident from the 
position of the peak, is one of the most 
extensive and complete to be found in 
the Alps. In the descent, the way may 
be shortened and made easy by glis- 
sading over the snow-slopes when these 
are in proper order. 

If one who has not ascended this 
mountain may differ from the explorer 
to whom we owe our first acquaint- 
ance with it, the writer will express the 
decided opinion that no * lady,' or ' inex- 
perienced climber,' should be induced 
by Mr. Cowell's encouraging remarks to 
attempt the ascent, especially when the 
snow is in the condition in which he 
found it. It is, however, right to say, 
that Mr. Tuckett, making the ascent 
much earlier in the season, with the 
snow in good order, and keeping to the 
rt., or farther S. than Mr. Cowell, 
avoided most of the difficulties above 
described, and had scarcely a single 
step to cut. He reached the summit in 
3 hrs. from the point where he set foot 
on the Glacier de Mont Corve, and de- 
scended from the top to Ponte in 2J- 
hrs. 



162 



GRAIAN ALrS. § 15. RUITOR DISTRICT. 



Route G. 

COGNE TO CERESOLE — COL DE GRAN- 
CROU. 
(10 to 11 hours.) 
A very fine pass, first effected on the 
28th June, 1862, by Mr. F. F. Tuckett, 
with Michel Croz of Chamouni and Peter 
Perm of Zermatt. They ascended from 
Cogne through the Valnontey to the 
chalets of Vermiana, and in f hr. from 
thence reached the foot of the Glacier 
de Grancrou; 4-J- hrs. were employed in 
ascending through the seracs of the 
glacier to the snow-ridge connecting 
the Grand Paradis with the Rossa 
Viva. Mr. Tuckett thinks that under 
favourable circumstances the ascent 
may be made in half that time, and 
recommends future travellers to aim at 
a point in the ridge a little to the L or 
E. of its lowest point. In the ascent 
the remains of a bouquetin, which had 
some time before been destroyed by 
an avalanche, were found on the 
glacier. The summit of the col was 
found by a barometrical measure- 
ment to be 11,034 ft. in height. The 
Grivola and Paradis are concealed by 
intervening ridges, but the Pennine 
chain from the Velan to Monte Rosa 
on the N., and in the opposite direction 
the Levanna, with a host of more dis- 
tant summits, compensate for their ab- 
sence. 

1 On quitting the col we descended a 
couloir without difficulty, and traversed 
the gently inclined neve ot a small gla- 
cier till we came in sight of a lake on 
the rt., after passing which we com- 
menced descending. In a few minutes 
we reached a small moraine, and soon 
found farther progress in this direction 
barred by a precipice, to avoid which it 
was necessary to keep well away to the 
rt. till we reached the lateral moraine 
of a glacier at the head of which a por- 
tion of the S. extremity of the Grand 
Paradis came in view. We descended | 
this moraine to the point where that of 
the L hand glacier from our col united | 



with it, traversed an upland plain re- 
sembling an old lake-bed, and keeping 
along its rt. side, struck a path which 
led first over a low shoulder, and then 
down into a second plain. Into the 
upper portion of this basin a glacier 
comes down (from the Cocagna ?), and 
though it appeared much crevassed, we 
thought it probable that a passage might 
be effected in this direction into the Val 
Savaranche- The path, now of con- 
siderable size, probably one of those 
constructed at the king's expense for 
hunting purposes, again traverses a 
shou.der and descends by a series of zig- 
zags through magnificent rock sce- 
nery to the Alp of Noaschetta, Thence 
it bears away, occasionally mounting 
slightly, round the slopes to the rt., 
traverses the hamlet of La Varda, and 
then descends by a considerable detour 
to the level of the Val d'Orco, a little be- 
low the Scalare di Ceresole. — [F. F. T.] 

The glacier scenery on the Cogne 
side, and the rock scenery on the S. 
side of the col, are of the highest order. 
Time : Cogne to foot of glacier, 2 hrs. 
Ascent of glacier to the col, 4| hrs. 
Descent to Alp of Noaschetta, 2^- hrs. 
La Varda. 1 hr. Ceresole, l£ hr Total, 
11 j hrs. But with the glacier in good 
order, 10 hrs. would probably suffice. 

The SE. angle of the Valnontey is 
occupied by the great Glacier de Monei, 
originating in an extensive basin between 
the Rossa Viva and the Tour de St. 
Pierre. It is probable that a pass direct 
from Cogne to Locana may be found 
across the ridge connecting those peaks. 



SECTION 15. 

RUITOR DISTRICT. 

From the dividing range of the Graian 
Alps, forming the frontier between 
Piedmont and Savoy, two valleys de- 
scend to the NNE., parallel to the Val 
Savaranche. The most easterly of 



ROUTE A. LITTLE ST. BERNARD. 



163 



these — the Val de Rhemes — turning a 
little to the rt. at its lower end, joins 
the Val Savaranche just before their 
united streams are poured into the 
Dora Baltea at Villeneuve. The 
Val Grisanche, lying W. of the Val de 
Rhemes, is also bent aside from its 
direct course as it approaches the Val 
d'Aosta, and its junction with that 
valley at Arvier is only a short distance 
W. of Villeneuve. The W. slope of 
the dividing range is formed by the 
valley of the Upper Isere, described in 
§ 11, which flows from SSE. to NNW., 
and it thus follows that the mass of 
mountain lying between the Isere and 
the Grisanche spreads out to the N. in 
the form of the letter V. The space 
between these valleys is mainly occu- 
pied by a great glacier-clad mass 
which, by comparison with the peaked 
forms of the neighbouring Alps, may 
be called a plateau. The nomenclature 
of the projecting eminences and but- 
tresses of this mass is very unsettled, 
there being scarcely any points suffi- 
ciently marked to be seen and recog- 
nised from several different sides; but 
the tract of glacier which covers the 
plateau is conspicuous from every 
eminence in the surrounding valleys, 
and is known by the name Glacier du 
Buitor. To Mr. W. Mathews we are 
indebted for the thorough exploration 
of this little-known mass, and we shall 
follow his example in calling the two 
highest points — both of which were 
reached, apparently for the first time, 
by that indefatigable mountaineer — the 
S. and N. peaks of the Buitor. Their 
height— S. peak (11,480), and N. peak 
(11,339) — falls considerably short of 
that of the summits lying farther south; 
the Aiguille de la Sassiere, at the head 
of the Val Grisanche, being 12,343 ft., 
and the Grand Apparei, at the upper 
end of the Val de Rhemes, nearly 
12,090 ft. in height. The N. limit of 
this district is naturally formed by the 
pass of the Little St. Bernard (7,218'), 
the lowest in the chain of the Alps 
between the Mont Cenis and the 
Simplon. At the village of La Thuile, 



or at the Hospice on that pass, a tra- 
veller may find tolerable quarters; but 
one who would explore the upper por- 
tions of the valleys of Rhemes and 
Grisanche must not expect anything 
beyond chalet fare and accommo- 
dation. 



Route A. 

BOURG ST. MAURICE TO AOSTA — PASS 
OP THE LITTLE ST. BERNARD. 

Hrs.' walking Eng. miles 

St. Germain . If 5± 

Hospice ... If 5 

Cantine . ]i 3i 

La Thuile . . 1| 4£ 

Pre St. Didier . If 5 

Morgex . 1± 4 

Arvier . 2| 8£ 

Villeneuve . 1 3f 

Aosta ... 2 7 

14f 4b 

A very rough road, practicable for a 
light char, or country cart, traverses 
the pass from Bourg St. Maurice to 
St. Didier. A new road has long been 
in progress; it is nearly completed on 
the Savoy side, but the portion between 
La Thuile and the Hospice is not yet 
commenced. A carriage-road, pretty well 
kept, leads from St. Didier to Aosta. 
Between these two places there is no 
inn at which a traveller would willingly 
stop. The charge for mules at Bourg 
St. Maurice is 8 fir. to the Hospice, and 
15 fr. to St. Didier or Courmayeur. 

The pass of the Little St. Bernard is 
not only one of the lowest, but also 
one of the easiest in the Alps, and if 
its commercial importance had been 
greater, it would probably long since 
have been traversed by a high road. 
Many writers have believed this to be 
the pass by which Hannibal entered 
Italy, and in some particulars it agrees 
well with the details handed down by 
Polybius. See § 7, Rte. C. 

At the village of Scez, 2 m. above 
Bourg St. Maurice (§ 11, Rte. A), the 
Recluse torrent, descending from the 
NE., seems the natural prolongation of 
2 



164 



GRAIAN ALPS. § 15. RUITOR DISTRICT. 



the valley of the Isere, while the main 
stream flowing from Tignes makes a 
sharp angle on entering the valley 
through which it reaches Moutiers. 
The mule-path is carried for some dis- 
tance along the 1. hank of the Recluse, 
and after passing the hamlet of Villard 
Dessous, crosses the stream near to an 
escarpment formed of gypsum, called 
the Roche Blanche, which has been 
identified with the XevKoirtrpov bxvpov 
of Polybius. The new road is carried 
in long zigzags above the 1. bank, and re- 
joins the mule-path near to the Hospice. 
The highest hamlet, reached by a rapid 
ascent of 2 m. from the bridge, is 
St. Germain, where there is a wretched 
inn. The way then continues to mount 
by gentle slopes quite bare of trees, and 
the scenery might be called tame but 
for the fine peak of the Mont Pourri, 
a very striking object to those who 
descend on the side of Savoy. About 
two-thirds of the way from St. Germain 
to the Hospice are some chalets, at one 
of which refreshments may be ob- 
tained; but these are not quite 2 m. 
distant from the Hospice (7,123'). This 
stands at the SW. end of a grassy 
plain, nearly 3 mu long and 1 m. 
wide, about 300 ft. below the actual 
col, which lies at the middle of the 
plateau, sloping very gently on either 
side. A part of the building is under 
the management of ecclesiastics, who 
receive and lodge poor travellers ; the 
other portion is an inn, fairly kept, for 
the benefit of those who can afford to 
pay. The plateau contains several 
remains of antiquity, whose origin is 
involved in obscurity. Close to the 
summit is a column of Cipollino marble, 
about 20 ft. high and 3 ft. in diameter, 
called Colonne de Joux, and supposed 
to be of Celtic origin (?), and near at 
hand a circle of stones of moderate 
size, laid flat on the ground, bears the 
name Cirque d'Hannibal. There is 
nothing to show whether the name re- 
presents a popular tradition, or the 
conjecture of some learned monk in the 
neighbouring hospice, or that of some 
more modern antiquary. A traveller 



who makes his head- quarters for a day 
or two at the Hospice, may find some 
new country to explore on either side 
of the pass. The peaks of the Vallaisan 
and the Belvedere, both outliers of 
the Ruitor group, lie on the SE. side. 
The latter, said to be more difficult, 
commands the finer view. In the op- 
posite direction lies the Belief ace, and 
there would probably be no great 
difficulty in finding a passage across 
a small glacier E. of that peak, and so 
reaching from this side the head of the 
Allee Blanche, somewhere near to the 
Col de la Seigne. A traveller bound 
for Ste. Foi or Tignes (§ 11, Rte. B) 
may shorten the way by 2 hrs. by 
ascending from the Hospice to the 
ridge of the Traversette, and then 
winding round the steep slopes, whose 
drainage is borne to the Isere between 
Sainte Foi and Scez. The path being 
scarcely traced, it is advisable to take 
a local guide. 

The descent towards the Val d'Aosta 
commences nearly due N.; a small lake 
is passed on the L which receives the 
drainage of the glaciers E. of the 
Belleface. At several points on the 
way the range of Mont Blanc is seen 
towering above the nearer heights. 
In about 1 hr., descending, the Cantine 
des Eaux Rousses is passed, and the 
track generally approaches nearer to 
the Thuile torrent, until, at Pont Serrant, 
it crosses from the rt. to the L bank by 
a bridge thrown over a deep ravine. 
The descent continues to NE„ and is 
rather steep as far as the village of 
La Thuile (Inn: La Croix Blanche, 
bad), about 4,700 ft. above the sea, 
where a glen opens to the S. leading 
directly to the great Ruitor glacier 
(Rte. B). A pedestrian bound for 
Aosta may avoid the beaten track, and 
gain some fine views of Mont Blanc, 
by taking a local guide to the Camp du 
Prince Thomas, still marked by the 
remains of entrenchments on the 
heights E. of La Thuile. A steep de- 
scent leads thence down to the banks 
of the Dora, nearly opposite to Morgex, 
The road from La Thuile to St. Didier 



ROUTE A. — ST. DIDIER TO AO ST A. 



165 



formerly lay on the 1. bank, much ex- 
posed to avalanches from the Cramont. 
To avoid this danger, the present road 
was carried along the rt. bank, at a 
great height above the torrent, for a 
distance of nearly 2 m., returning to 
the 1. bank at La Balme. The descent 
through a pine forest overhanging the 
ravine of the Thuile is picturesque, 
and some fine peeps at the range of 
Mont Blanc are gained before reaching 

St. Didier, properly called Pre St. 
Didier (Inns: Poste, not good, dear; 
Pavilion). Close to the village are the 
baths, very picturesquely situated, and 
frequented during the summer. The 
view of Mont Blanc, and the fine 
timber that covers the adjoining slopes, 
make the scenery here far superior to 
that of the immediate neighbourhood 
of Courmayeur, but the accommodation 
is inferior, and, with the sole exception 
of the Cramont, this place is more 
distant from all the objects of interest 
on the S. side of Mont Blanc. See 
§ 16, Rte. B. 

Close to St. Didier the road crosses 
the Dora Baltea above its junction with 
the Thuile, and makes a short ascent 
to join the main road, leading from 
Courmayeur to Aosta, along the 
L bank of the stream. Prom hence 
to Courmayeur the ascent is steep, and 
fit only for light carriages, while the 
descent to Aosta is easy, and the road 
usually in good order. The first con- 
siderable ' village is Moryex (Inn : 
Lion d'Or), where the path to the 
Great St. Bernard by the Col de la 
Serena turns off to the NE. The vine 
begins to appear here, and becomes 
more common a little lower down, 
about La Salle, a poor village, below a 
ruined castle, which is supposed to 
preserve the name of the Salassi, who 
once held the valley. The valley gra- 
dually contracts below La Salle, as it 
approaches a fine modern bridge thrown 
across the Dora, close to the junction 
of a torrent from the Combe de Yer- 
tosan, opening due N., and leading by 
the Col de Vertosan to St. Remy (§ 18, 
Rte. A). Below the bridge the valley 



becomes a mere defile, and the road is 
carried along the rt. bank at a great 
height above the stream, in some places 
forming a projecting cornice, propped 
up by massive beams of timber. The 
pass was formerly guarded by a gate 
and drawbridges; these have now dis- 
appeared, along with a blockhouse 
intended to enfilade the road, but it 
would be easy to make the valley im- 
passable to a hostile force, by destroying 
the props which sustain the road. On 
issuing from the narrowest part of the 
defile, the picturesque village of Avise 
is seen on the opposite bank, and ap- 
proaching the opening of the Yal 
Grisanche (Rte. C), the new road 
makes a sweep to the rt. to avoid ^the 
wretched village of Ivrogne (Inn : L'Ecu, 
tolerable). Here lives Charles Alexis Lu- 
boz, who accompanied Mr. W. Mathews 
as porter, at 5 fr. a day, in his first ex- 
ploration of the glaciers of the Ruitor, 
and of whom a very favourable report 
is given by that gentleman. Here, and 
throughout the Val d'Aosta, it is pain- 
ful to contrast the beauty of the sce- 
nery, and the richness of the vegeta- 
tion, with the poverty, filth, and cre- 
tinism which are the characteristics of 
the population. Between a fine avenue 
of walnut trees the road reaches 
Arvier, opposite a steep and lofty 
escarpment above which, on the N. side 
of the valley, is seen the spire of the 
church of St. Nicholas. To the rt. is 
tae opening of- the beautiful valleys of 
Rhemes and Savaranche, which unite 
their torrents close to Vitteneuve, a 
large dirty village where neither decent 
accommodation nor a vehicle is to be 
found. However tired, a traveller will 
do wisely to push on to Aosta. The 
road here returns to the 1, bank of the 
Dora, and inlj m. reaches St. Pierre, 
with an ancient castle commanding a 
view of the snowy Alps at the head of 
the Yal Savaranche. A little farther 
is the opening of the Yal de Cogne. 
with the peak of the Grivola towering 
above it. Several modernised chateaux 
are seen on either slope of the valley, 
and the character of the vegetation 



166 



GRAIAN ALPS. § 15. RUITOR DISTRICT. 



announces a marked change of climate 
as the valley widens out, and the road, 
here hot and dusty, reaches 

Aosta(l\ms: H. duMont Blanc, good, 
kept by Jean Tairraz of Chamouni; 
Couronne, ' in new hands, newly fitted 
up, may probably deserve a trial ' [M.] ; 
Ecu du Valais, pretty good; H. d'ltalie, 
tolerable), a small city, the capital of 
the ancient Duche d'Aoste, interesting 
to the stranger from its fine position, 
and still more from its venerable anti- 
quity, carried by the local historians up 
to more than eleven centuries before 
the foundation of Augusta Pretoria, 
which happened a few years after the 
destruction of the earlier city of the 
Salassi by the legions of Augustus. 
Few places in Europe have so well 
preserved the plan and general character 
of the Roman city. The ramparts, form- 
ing a perfectly regular rectangle, are still 
in good preservation, especially on the 
S. side, where they are most easily 
approached. The E. gate, formerly 
Porta Prsetoria, is also tolerably well 
preserved, though wilfully damaged 
during the middle ages, and at a short 
distance on the road which formed the 
main approach to the city is a tri- 
umphal arch, erected in honour of 
Augustus by Terentius Varro ; and 
near to it, at some distance beyond the 
actual course of the stream, is a Roman 
bridge, which formerly crossed the 
Buttier, but is now partly buried in the 
soil that has accumulated over its 
ancient bed. The remains of an am- 
phitheatre, and several other buildings 
whose destination is a subject of con- 
troversy, will furnish occuoation to the 
antiquary. The cathedral, externally 
of little interest, is of high antiquity. 
Some parts of the building, two Roman 
mosaics preserved near the high altar, 
and some curious objects exhibited by 
the Sacristan, date from the 5th century. 
The church of St. Ours, with its ancient 
crypt, and a cloister whose columns 
sustain very curious carved capitals, is 
well worth a visit. X. de Maistre's 
touching tale may induce some travel- 
lers to visit the Tour du Lepreux at 



the W. end of the town, not far from 
the Hotel du Mont Blanc. 

The Chanoine Carrel, who is a mem- 
ber of the Chapter of Aosta, and in- 
habits the city, and who is well known 
for his valuable contributions to the 
meteorology of the Alps, receive^ very 
kindly any travellers engaged in these 
or similar pursuits who may apply to 
him for advice and information. His 
observations, which have been carefully 
conducted for many years, are important 
to those who seek to determine by 
barometric observations altitudes of 
peaks, &c, in this part of the chain of 
the Alps. The height of his observa- 
tory by the mean of his observations is 
exactly 600 metres, or 1,969 English ft. 



Route B. 

LA THUILE TO SAINTE FOI — ASCENT OF 
THE RUITOR. 

The entire drainage of the N. side of 
the Ruitor is carried down through a 
torrent of the same name to join the 
Thuile, near the village of La Thuile 
(Rte. A). From the beautiful Alpine 
glen of the Ruitor two glacier passes 
lead to the valley of the Isere, near to 
Sainte Foi (§ \\, Rte. B). Of the more 
westerly of these, called on the Pied- 
montese map Col du Grand Glacier, the 
editor has received no information. The 
second pass, nearly due S. of La Thuile, 
is scarcely more known. It is called Col 
de Tacqui, and also Col de la Lys 
Blanche, and is said to lie between the 
Pointe Pousse and the Grand Assaly, 
two of the summits of the Ruitor group, 
the latter of which is seen from La 
Thuile. According to Joanne, perhaps 
on the authority of some local guide, 
the ascent from Ste. Foi to the pass 
requires 5 hrs. 

Mr. W. Mathews, to whom we are 
indebted for so much of what we know 
of the adjoining group of the Tarentaise 

■ Alps, is entitled to the credit of having 
been the chief explorer of the consider- 

: able mountain mass which goes under 



ROUTE B. — ASCENT OF THE RUITOR. 



167 



the collective name Ruitor. By an ex- 
pedition made in 1861, in company with 
Mr. Jacomb, which is described in the 
second series of 1 Peaks, Passes, and 
Glaciers,' and by a second exploration 
along with the Rev. T. G. Bonney in 
1862, the notes of which have been 
kindly communicated to the editor, he 
proved the possibility of taking the 
highest summit of the Ruitor in the 
way from La Thuile to Sainte Foi, or 
of descending from thence to Planaval, 
in the Val Grisanche. The descent to 
Ste. Foi is, however, a matter of some 
difficulty, and should be attempted only 
by practised mountaineers with first- 
rate guides. 

On leaving La Thuile, Messrs. Ma- 
thews and Bonney crossed the stream 
from the Little St. Bernard, and fol- 
lowed a tolerably level path along the 
1. bank of the Ruitor torrent. ' One 
hr. from La Thuile are the chalets of 
La Joux, at the foot of the steep and 
lofty barrier of rock which closes the 
head of the valley. This barrier is 
covered with pines, and crowned by the 
extremity of the great Ruitor glacier, 
which discharges a torrent that leaps 
down the rocks in a series of beautiful 
cascades. The path from La Joux to the 
highest chalets crosses the stream three 
times, and is by no means easy to 
find. On leaving La Joux we crossed 
by a foot-bridge, which stands a few 
yards below the chalets. The path 
then ascends amidst charming scenery, 
winding round steep faces of rock and 
among gigantic boulders, clothed with 
larch and the cembra pine, mingled with 
a few spruces. Close at hand the tor- 
rent thunders down a deep cleft, and 10 
min. above La Joux forms a noble cas- 
cade, which is well seen from an opening 
in the forest a few paces from the path. 
In another ^ hr. we returned to the 1. 
bank, just above the junction of a tribu- 
tary stream from the W. Above this 
the zigzags became steeper, and in ^ hr. 
more we emerged from the pines, and saw 
before us a beautiful mountain lake em- 
bosomed in an amphitheatre of rock. 
Down the face of the opposite rocks the 



main torrent rushed into the lake, which 
is also fed by a smaller stream on the 
rt. coming from the direction of the Col 
de la Lys Blanche. On the 1. is a 
chalet, with a small Alp, divided from 
us by the torrent just below its exit from 
the lake. Crossing the stream for the 
third time, we found the chalet deserted, 
the establishment having probably been 
moved up to the higher chalet. There 
are few walks in the Alps so beautiful 
as that from La Joux to this spot.' — 
[W. M.] 

The distant view comprises a great 
portion of the range of Mont Blanc. 
The highest chalets — those of Ste. Mar- 
guerite—were reached in J hr.'s steep 
ascent by the slopes behind the lower 
chalet. They stand close to the great 
glacier, and required 3 hrs. 40 min., fast 
walking, from La Thuile. The wooden 
shed which serves as a sleeping apart- 
ment did not appear tempting. 

4 The Alp of Ste. Marguerite is one 
of the most enchanting spots in the 
Graian chain. A few yards distant is 
an exquisite glacier lake, fed by the 
water issuing from a cavern in the blue 
ice cliffs which enclose it, while many 
miniature icebergs float upon its surface, 
forming a scene which would scarcely 
suffer by comparison with the celebrated 
Marjelen See. Above the lake extends 
the great ice-fall of the Ruitor glacier, 
flanked on either side by two rocky 
peaks, which form, as it were, the gates 
of the glacier, and midway between 
them the horizon line is broken by a 
sharp pyramid of rock (Grand Assaly?), 
crowned by a stone man.' — [W. M.] 

From Ste. Marguerite the Col de 
Tacqui lies about SW., and in the op- 
posite direction it is possible to reach 
the Yal d'Aosta by the Colde Ste, Mar- 
guerite, descending upon Derby, about 5 
min. above Ivrogne. 

' Throughout the ascent from La 
Thuile the marks of glacial action are 
conspicuous, and just before reaching 
Ste. Marguerite we passed a dome of rock 
with a fine bloc perch e on the summit. 

4 After a short halt at the chalets, we 
took to the ice near a small lake above 



168 



GKAIAK ALPS. § 15. RUITOR DISTRICT. 



the principal one, and directed our steps 
towards the central part of the glacier, 
which is of enormous size. It is bounded 
rt. and L by a double row of peaks.' — 
[W.M.] On the L or E. side these are six 
in number. No. 1, the eastern gate, is a 
long ridge of dark rock, beyond which 
is a col which would lead to the glacier 
descending towards Planaval, in the 
Val Grisanche (Rte. C). Nos. 2 and 3 
are low snow-peaks, scarcely more than 
prominences in the ridge. No. 4 is the 
double-headed peak, apparently the 
highest when seen from Aosta, which 
was ascended by Air. Mathews in 1861. 
No, 5 is rather lower than this, but No. 
6, seen on the extreme L from Aosta, 
is the highest summit of the entire 
group, and the most distant from the 
foot of the glacier. On the W. side of the 
glacier, besides the two peaks already 
mentioned — that which forms the west- 
ern gate (Pointe Pousse ?), and the 
more distant summit, which is probably 
the Grand Assaly — there is a third 
peak, a snow pyramid still more remote 
from La Thuile, standing opposite to 
the highest summit. 

4 After passing in succession the first 
five summits on the E. side of the gla- 
cier, we made straight for the ridge 
between No. 5 and No. 6, and followed 
the crest to the base of the final peak, 
a steep tower of rock, about 18 ft. high. 
This, the only difficulty of the excur- 
sion, was found by no means easy to 
climb, but with Michel Croz's assistance 
we reached the top of it.'— [W. M.] 

About 3^- hrs. were required for the 
ascent from Ste. Marguerite. Saxi- 
fraga bryoides and an androsace (glaci- 
alis ?) were found abundantly on the 
top. 

Mr. Mathews has justly compared the 
position of the Puitor in respect to the 
range of Mont Blanc to that of the 
Buet, both being separated from it by a 
lower intermediate range. There is, 
however, this difference — that on the 
opposite side to Mont Blanc the Puitor 
is encircled by the loftier peaks of the 
Graian and Tarentaise Alps ; and the 
only direction in which the eye pene- 



trates to the lower cultivated region is 
along the Val d'Aosta, which is viewed 
throughout the entire distance from 
Ivrogne to beyond Chatillon — a dis- 
tance of fully 25 m. The head of the 
Val Grisanche, closed by a great glacier, 
which appears to fill the space between 
the Grand Apparei and the Sassiere, is 
one of the most interesting portions of 
the panorama. 

In 1862 Messrs. Mathews and Bon- 
ney returned to La Thuile, and found 
an easier passage by keeping nearer to 
the rt. side of the glacier. The de- 
scent, hurried by a passing storm, was 
effected in 4 hrs., including two short 
halts. 

In 1861, Mr. Mathews and Mr. 
Jacomb, having slept at a chalet 2 hrs. 
above Planaval, in the Val Grisanche 
(Pte. C), reached the summit called 
No. 4 in the preceding description by 
an easy ascent of 3| hrs., over a glacier 
which descends on the E. side of the 
ridge. Thence, by a slight circuit, 
they descended to the col between No. 
4 and No, 5, on which they found a 
little glacier lake, perhaps due to the 
great heat of that season. They ex- 
pected to pass from the head of the 
Puitor Glacier due S., so as to gain 
the track of the Col du Lac (Pte. C). 
The descent on that side was found to 
be impracticable, and they therefore 
made a circuit to the W. round the head 
of the glacier, until, immediately S. of 
the peak which has been spoken of as 
probably the Grand Assaly, they found 
an opening to the W., where formidably 
steep snow-slopes overlook a more level 
glacier, terminating in Alpine pastures. 
The descent was found to be difficult, 
even to such experienced ice-men, and 
it was necessary to use the axe for a 
considerable time. At length they 
reached some beautifully-situated cha- 
lets, called La Sassiere de Ste. Foi. 
The descent to the village of the same 
name (§ 11, Rte. B), about 2 hrs., is 
described as extremely beautiful, the 
noble peak of the Mont Pourri lying 
constantly in view. 

Prom the barometric observations of 



EOUTE C. COL DU LAC. 



Messrs. Bonney and Mathews, the 
height of the S. or highest peak of 
the Ruitor appears to be 11,480 ft., and 
that of the second or more northern 
peak 11,339 ft. 

Both these travellers believe that there 
would be no difficulty in descending from 
the highest summit; of the "Ruitor direct 
to the Val Grisanche, so that a traveller 
starting from La Thuile or Ste. Mar- 
guerite may on the same day reach 
Ivrogne. They have also pointed out 
that, by combining the Col deTacquiwith 
the Col de Ste. Marguerite, it would be 
easy to reach Derby and Ivrogne from 
Ste. Foi in one rather long, but very 
interesting, day's walk. 



Route C. 

IVROGNE TO SAINTE FOI, BY THE VAL 
GRISANCHE. 

The Val Grisanche forms the E. limit 
of the mass of the Ruitor. Being in- 
clined at an acute angle to the direction 
of the upper valley of the Isere, a per- 
son bound for the latter destination will 
shorten his rte. by mounting near to the 
head of the valley where it approaches 
nearest to the Isere. The lower part is 
richly wooded and picturesque, while 
the upper end presents one of the wildest 
and dreariest scenes in the Alps. It is 
also one of the most completely enclosed 
of Alpine valleys. There are, indeed, 
four passes known to the native cha- 
mois hunters, which give access to the 
Val de Rhemes. They all approach 
10,000 ft. in height, and no parti- 
culars have been obtained respecting 
any of them. That nearest the head 
of the valley is called Col de Bas- 
sac. No pass is known to exist 
across the great glacier which lies 
at the head of the valley, E. of the 
Aiguille de la Sassiere, but Mr. 
Mathews, who has seen it on both sides, 
is convinced that a fine pass may be 
made in that direction to the summit 



169 

of the Col de Gailletta (Rte. D), 
and so to Tignes. On the W. side 
three passes lead into the Val de 
Tignes. Immediately S. of the Ruitor 
is the Col du Lac ; farther S., between 
the Ruitor and the Ormelune, is the Col 
du Mont. The Ormelune (10,833) is 
the chief summit in the range connect- 
ing the Ruitor with the Sassiere, and 
between it and the latter peak is a third 
little-frequented pass, called Col du 
Clou, and also Col de Vaudet. 

1. By the Col du Lac. About 9^hrs. 

Near to its junction with the Dora 
Baltea, the torrent which drains the Val 
Grisanche flows through an impassable 
ravine, and to enter the valley it is 
necessary to commence the ascent im- 
mediately behind the village of Ivrogne, 
passing a mill, and mounting amidst 
meadows and orchards that appear to 
lead away from the Grisanche. 

' After passing these the path arrives 
abruptly below some rocks ; thence, 
turning and ascending along their bases, 
the traveller shortly finds himself in the 
track which is carried high above ths 
1. bank of the Grisanche. 

'The scenery here is of a striking 
character. The river roars so deep in 
the gorge as scarcely to be heard; and 
the rocks which bound its course are so 
nearly perpendicular, that the tops of 
lofty and enormous pines, rooted in the 
rifts below, can almost be touched by 
the hand of the traveller in passing 
above them. Overhanging the path, 
the mountains so close in, that the light 
of day does not half illuminate this deep 
and savage defile. On a sort of terrace, 
on the opposite bank, the ruins of a 
feudal castle are seen frowning over 
the black ravine, and fitted for tales of 
romance. From it, the view into the 
valley of Aosta must be beautiful, but; 
what access there is to these ruins can- 
not be traced, or even imagined, from 
the opposite bank, though this is so high 
above the torrent that the path seldom 
approaches it nearer than 200 ft. 

4 This narrow defile continues during 
an ascent of more than 2 hrs. Some- 
times the path is carried on terraces, 



170 



GRAIAN ALPS. § 15. RUITOR DISTRICT. 



rudely formed of loose stones placed 
across rifts in the precipices; in others, 
the buttresses of rock are cut away to 
make the road high and wide enough to 
pass.' — [M.] 

At about 1^ hr. from Ivrogne, a tor- 
rent descending from one of the glaciers 
of the Ruitor is crossed, and in the open- 
ing to the rt. is seen the village of 
Planaval. 2 hrs. higher up the same 
lateral valley is the Chalet du Glacier, 
where Messrs. Mathews and Jacomb 
passed the night before their first ascent 
of the Ruitor. The main valley here 
turns nearly due S., and nearly 1 hr. 
farther the path reaches Seris, called on 
the Piedmontese map Val Grisanche, a 
miserable village, where none but the 
poorest accommodation is to be found. 

From Seris the track to the Col du 
Lac turns aside nearly due W. Not far 
from the summit is a small lake, and a 
chapel dedicated to St. Grat. From 5 
to 6 hrs. are necessary to reach the 
Chalets du Bonnet, about hr. above 
the village of Ste. Foi. Further infor- 
mation as to this pass is desired. The 
scenery is probably superior to that of 
the next route, but the passage must be 
more difficult, as the latter is usually 
preferred. 

2. By the Col du Mont, Nearly 11 
hrs. 

To reach this pass the main track up 
the Val Grisanche is followed from 
Seris for nearly 2 hrs. The scenery of 
the valley rapidly changes its character. 
Vast piles of debris, and precipitous 
masses of dark rock, take the place of 
Alp and pine forest, and the upper end 
of the valley, lying on the L as the track 
turns to the Col du Mont, presents one 
unbroken scene of desolation. 

1 At Fornet, the highest village in the 
valley, the route to the Col du Mont 
leaves the Val Grisanche, ascends a 
steep path on the rt. by a torrent, and 
reaches some chalets on a small but fine 
pasturage. Above these the path skirts 
the brink of precipices over a deep 
gorge, and enters a basin in the moun- 
tains filled with rocks and stones brought 
down from the surrounding mountains , 



the summits of which are crested with 
glaciers. The ascent is very steep for 
nearly 2 hrs. up a trackless loose path, 
and up fatiguing slopes of snow, steep, 
and many hundreds of feet across/ — [M.] 

The col, which is a narrow ridge com- 
manding a finely contrasted view of the 
bare and rugged Val Grisanche on the 
one side, and of the comparatively bright 
and fertile mountains that enclose the 
Isere on the other, lies between the 
Ormelune (10,833) to the S., and the 
Becca du Mont, which separates this 
from the Col du Lac, to the N. 

4 The Col du Mont was the scene of 
some desperate conflicts during the wars 
of the Revolution between the French 
and the Piedmontese. General Moulins, 
who commanded the former, after many 
efforts succeeded in gaining the posi- 
tion by advancing during a snow-storm, 
when such assailants were not expected, 
and retained it in spite of not less than 
ten efforts to repossess it. The height 
of the col, from the absence of all vege- 
tation, must exceed 8,500 ft. 

'After passing down a steep path, 
leaving on the 1. black precipices — the 
haunts of the chamois — the beautiful 
pasturages belonging to the commune 
of Ste. Foi appear in a deep basin, 
bounded below by a forest. In less 
than 2 hrs. the highest chalets in this 
basin are reached, and in another hour 
the chalets of Bonnet, where the track 
from the Col du Lac (see above) falls 
in on the rt. Beyond Bonnet the road 
winds steeply down through a forest, 
and at length emerges to cross a torrent 
and enter the village of Muraille, where 
another bridge over a deep ravine leads 
to the hamlet of Mazure; thence travers- 
ing a brow on the mountain side, the 
road descends to Ste. Foi.' — [M.] 
3. By the Col du Clou. 
This pass, very rarely used, leads into 
the Val de Tignes several miles above 
Ste. Foi, and is better suited for a travel- 
ler who should wish to reach the Val 
d'Aosta from Tignes in one long day, 
than as a communication between the 
Val Grisanche and Ste. Foi. It leads, 
however, by a slight detour to La Thuile 



ROUTE D. — VAL DE RHEMES. 



171 



de Ste. Foi (§ 11, Rte. B), where the 
accommodation is apparently not worse 
than at the main village. In fine 
weather the pass described in the next 
Rte. will be preferred by most moun- 
taineers going from Tignes to Aosta, 
but for those travelling in the opposite 
direction the contrast between the wild 
desolation of the head of the Val Gri- 
sanche and the beauty and variety of 
the scenery on the Savoy side of the 
pass is not without attraction. A prac- 
tised mountaineer making the pass from 
the W. side will not find a guide indis- 
pensable. 

Above Eornet the peculiar character 
of the Upper Val Grisanche is the more 
fully appreciated, as all traces of culti- 
vation and human industry disappear. 
The one or two chalets that lie several 
miles higher up are lost in the stony 
desert that surrounds them. It is neces- 
sary to follow the valley nearly to its 
head before commencing the long and 
steep ascent of the stony slope on its W. 
side which leads to the col. This is 
probably from 8,600 to 8,700 ft. in 
height, and patches of snow usually lie 
near the top. The descent on the Savoy 
side lies about due W. ; it is gentle, and 
before long the Alpine pastures appear 
green and covered with bright flowers. 
The botanist will here find Draba fiad- 
nitzensis, Cardamine Alpi?ia, and other 
interesting plants. After passing a 
chalet, a very fine view is gained of the 
Aiguille de la Sassiere. with a small 
Alpine lake in the middle distance. The 
descent to the valley of the Isere is 
throughout very beautiful, the latter part 
following the course of a torrent which 
reaches the main track from Ste. Foi to 
Tignes, about ^ hr. S. of La Thuile de 
Ste. Foi. 



Route D. 

TIGNES TO AOSTA, BY THE COL DE GAIL- 
LETT A AND THE VAL DE RHEMES. 

Hrs.' walking Eng. miles 
Col de Gailletta . 4± 9 

Notre Dame de Rhemes 4£ 10 
St. George de Rhemes . 3 8 
"Villeneuve ... 2^ 6£ 
Aosta .... 2 7 

16 4LA 

The Yal de Rhemes has been all but 
completely neglected by travellers, al- 
though the scenery at its head is of the 
grandest character. It communicates 
with the Val Savaranche by a col (C. 
d'Entrelavi?) leading to the chief village 
of that valley, and with the Col de la 
Croix de Nivolet by the Col de Rosset 
(§ 14, Rte. ft). As to both passes further 
information is desired, as also respecting 
the Col de Bassac, leading to the head 
of the Yal Grisanche. The only pass 
into the head of the valley as to which 
authentic information has been obtained 
is the Col de Gailletta, described by Mr. 
Mathews in the second series of 'Peaks, 
Passes, and Glaciers/ Even when made 
only to Villeneuve, it involves a very 
long day's walk, and the wretched ac- 
commodation found at that place makes 
it advisable to push on to the shelter of 
a decent hotel at Aosta. 

The first part of the way from Tignes 
is by the path taken in the ascent of the 
Aiguille de la Sassiere (§ 11, Rte. B). 
It mounts by the S. side of the water- 
fall E. of the village, and above the cliff 
crosses to the rt. bank of the torrent, 
where it enters the upland valley in the 
midst of which lies the Lac dela Sassiere, 
whose dull green waters are turbid from 
the fine glacial mud held in suspension. 
The way lies along the N. side of the 
lake, with the fine peak of the Sassiere 
on the 1. hand, and then ascends slopes 
of alternate rock and Alpine pasture, 
when a very fine glacier suddenly comes 
into view, with the peak of the Grand 
Apparei (nearly 12,000', W. M.) on the 
rt. Messrs. Mathews and Jacomb kept 



172 



GRAIAN ALPS. § 15. RUITOR DISTRICT. 



along the rocks on the N. side of the 
glacier so as to avoid the most difficult 
part, and then threaded their way amidst 
intricate crevasses till they reached an 
extensive snow-plateau that continues 
unbroken to the col. 

' The pass is one of the finest in the 
Graian Alps, and both in its foreground 
scenery and in the extent and interest 
of its distant views may bear compari- 
son with some of the more celebrated 
cols of the Pennine or Oberland Alps. 
The summit of the col is far in ad- 
vance of the Sassiere. As we faced the 
Val de Rhemes we had upon our L 
hand tracks of snow of immense extent 
stretching towards the head of the Val 
Grisanche. On our rt. was the Grand \ 
Apparei, and immediately in advance of 
it a most peculiar peak consisting of a 
tower of dark rock capped by a cone of 
snow. On the side of Savoy, beyond 
the Lac de Tignes, rose the graceful 
snow-peak of the Grande Motte, and 
the frowning precipices of the Casse, 
while on that of Piedmont we looked 
over the Val Savaranche to the mag- 
nificent masses of the Grand Paradis 
and the Grivola, and straight down the 
Val de Rhemes to a section of the 
Pennine chain, of which the Grand 
Combin formed the central summit.' — 
[W. M.] 

The height of the pass was found to 
be 10,149 English feet. To the 1. is the 
great snow-field over which lies the 
supposed pass to the Val Grisanche 
referred to in Rte. C. 

4 The head of the Val de Rhemes con- 
sists of a spacious amphitheatre, con- 
taining not less than four or five distinct 



glaciers, all most imperfectly shown on 
the maps. It is divided into two bays by 
a projecting promontory, of which the 
remarkable tower-like peak above de- 
scribed forms the terminal point, and 
which is a most striking feature in all 
the views from the upper part of the 
valley. We descended close to it, keep- 
ing it on the rt., and after a rather diffi- 
cult scramble down some rough rocks, 
alighted at 3 p.m. upon a spacious Alp, 
where we rested for dinner.' — [W. M.] 
The first hamlet is called Thumel, and 
near to it the track to the Col de JRosset 
mounts to the SSE. About 1^ hr. farther 
is the chief village, Notre Dame de 
Rhemes. The cure, who inhabits the 
largest house, is said to be willing to 
receive travellers, and the accommoda- 
tion is probably not worse than at Ville- 
neuve. While the scenery of the head 
of the valley is very grand, that of its 
middle portion is tame and monoto- 
nous, relieved only by the fine peak of 
the Combin, which remains constantly 
in view. Several very poor hamlets are 
passed, and St. George de Rhemes, the 
next village, has a miserable appearance. 
The chestnut, walnut, and, finally, the 
vine, become more abundant and luxu- 
riant as the path, which here commands 
a fine view of Mont Blanc, approaches 
Introd, from whence a short descent 
leads to 

Villeneuve (Rte. A), where the land- 
lord of the chief inn (all bad) refused to 
Mr. Jacomb — who, with Mr. Mathews, 
made the whole distance from Tignes 
to Aosta in one day — food or drink until 
he should engage a bedroom for the 
night. 



173 



CHAPTER VI. 
PENNINE ALPS. 



Section 16. 
mont blanc district. 

Route A — Paris to Chamouni. by Geneva 

— Excursions from Chamouni 177 
Route B — Chamouni to Courmayeur, by 

the Col du Bouhomme . . 194 
Route C — Sallanches to Contamines and 

Courmayeur, bv St. Gervais . 201 
Route D — Courmayeur to Contamines, by 

the Col de Trelatete . . 203 
Route E — Chamouni to Courmayeur, by 

the Col rie Miage . . .204 
Route F — Chamouni to Courmayeur, by 

the Col du Geant . . .206 
Route G — Ascent of Mont Blanc . . 209 
Route H — Chamouni to Martigny . . 216 
Route I — Chamouni to Orsieres, by the 

Col de Champey . . .219 
Route K — Orsieres to Courmayeur, by the 

Col de Ferrex . . .220 
Route L— Chamouni to Orsieres, by the 

Col d'Argentiere . . .221 
Route M— Chamouni to Orsieres, by the 

Glacier du Tour . . .223 



Section 17. 
sixt district. 

Route A— Geneva to Sixt, by Tanninges . 225 
Route B— Geneva to Sixt, by Cluses, or St. 

Martin 228 

Route C— Sixt to Chamouni, by Servoz . 229 
Route D— Sixt to Chamouni— Ascent of 

the Bnet 230 

Route E— Sixt to Martigny, by Sal vent . 232 
Route F — Samoens to Champery and 

Monthey .... 234 

Route G— Sixt to Champery . . . 235 
Route H—Champerv to MaVtigny— Ascent 

of the Dent du Midi . . 236 
Route I — Geneva to St. Maurice, by 

Thonon 237 

Route K — Bonneville to Thonon . . 239 
Route L— Thonon to Samoens . . .241 
Route M— Thonon to Champery, or to 

Monthey . . . .241 



Section 18. 
great st. bernard district. 

Route A — Geneva to Aosta, bv Martigny 

and the Great St. Bernard . 244 

Route B— Hospice of the Great St. Bernard 

to Courmayeur . . . 254 

Route C— St. Pierre to Aosta, by the Col 
de Menouve — Ascent of the 
Mont Velan .... 255 

Route D — Martigny to Aosta, by the Val 
de Bagnes and the Col de 
Fenetre 257 

Route E— Chables to St. Pierre, by the 
Col de la Maison Blanche — 
Ascent of the Grand Combin 260 

Route F — St. Pierre to Chermontane, by 

the Col de Sonadon . . 263 

Route G — Aosta to Zermatt, by the Val 
Pellina and the Col de la Val 
Pellina 264 

Route H — St. Barthelemi to the Val Pel- 
lina ..... 267 

Route I — Prarayen to Val Tournanche, or 
Breuil, by the Col de Vacor- 
nere — Ascent of the Chateau 
des Dames .... 268 

Route K — Chermontane to Prarayen, by the 
Glacier d'Otemma — Ascent of 
the Mont Gele . . .269 

Route L— Chermontane to Evolena,by the 

Col de Chermontane . . 272 

Route M — Chermontane to Evolena, or to 
Heremence, by the Col du 
Mont Rouge . . . .273 



Section 19. 

evolena district. 

Route A— Sion to Aosta, by the Val d'He- 

rens and Col de Collon . 275 

Route B— Evolenn to Prarayen, by the Col 

des Bouquetins . . . 278 

Route C— Sion to the Val de Bagnes, by 

the Val d'Heremence . . 279 

Route D— Evolena to Zermatt, by the Col 
d'Herens— Ascent of the Dent 
Blanche . . . .280 



174 



PENNINE ALPS. 



Route E— Sierre to Zermatt, by the Val 
d'Anniviers and the Trift 
Joch 282 

Route F — Zinal to Zermatt. by the Col 
Durand, or Col de la Dent 
Blanche 285 

Route G— Evolena to Vissoie, by the Val 

de Torrent . . . .286 

Route H— Evolena to Zinal, by the Col de 

Sorebois 287 

Route I — Vissoie to Turtman, by the Pas 
df Boeuf and the Turtman 
Thai 288 

Route K— St. Luc to St. Niklaus, by the 
Z'meiden Pass and the Jung 
Joch 289 



Section 20. 
monte rosa district. 

Route A — Visp to Zermatt— Excursions 
from Zer-natt 

Route B-— Zermatt to Ivrea, bv the Val 
Tournanche— Colde St. The- 
odule — Breithorn — Matter- 
horn 

Route C — Zermatt to Verrex, by the 
Schwarz Thor and the Val 
d'Ayas .... 

Route D— Zermatt to Pont St. Martin, by 
the Lys Joch, or Zwillinge 
Joch, and the Val de Lys 

Route E— Zermatt to Varallo, by the Sesia 
Joch, and the Val Sesia 



202 



305 



3C9 



Route F — Zermatt to Vogogna, by "the 

Weiss Thor and the Val 

Anzasca 318 

Route G— Tour of Monte Rosa by the 

High Glacier Passes 
Route H— Valtournanche to Macugnaga, 

by the Middle Passes 
Route I— Aos'ta to Ponte Grande, by the 

Lower Passes 
Route K— Ivrea to Orta, br Biella . 
Route L — Orta to Ponte Grande, by the 

Val Mastalone 
Route M— Orta to Ponte Grande, by the 

Val Strona .... 
Route N — Visp to Macugnaga, by the 

Monte Moro .... 
Route O— Saas to Zermatt, by the Saas Grat 
Route P— Saas to St. Niklaus, by the Ried 

Pass 



322 
324 



327 
330 



332 
333 



333 
336 



Section 21. 
simplon district. 

Route A — Martigny to Arona— Pass of 
the Simplon .... 

Route B — Domo d'Ossola toArona, by Orta 

Route C— Saas to the Simplon H> spice— 
Ascent of the Fl tschhorn . 

Route D — Saas to Isella, by the Zwisch- 
bergen Pass — Ascent of the 
Weissmies .... 

Route E— Saas to Domo d'Ossola, by the 
Val Bugnanco 

Route F— Saas to Domo d'Ossola, by the 
Val Antrona .... 



339 



341 

349 



350 



352 



The traveller who has explored the 
Alps in various directions, and surveyed 
them from several of the high points 
which offer an extensive panoramic 
view, can scarcely fail to have formed 
the conclusion that whatever the forces 
may have been that have raised so vast a 
mass of matter above the ordinary level 
of our continent, they have acted with 
peculiar intensity throughout the range 
which, to speak roughly, extends between 
the valley of the Khone and that of the 
Dora Baltea from Mont Blanc to Monte 
Rosa. On studying a model, or even 
a good map, it becomes apparent that 
the importance of this range does not 
depend only on the fact that it includes 
all the highest peaks of the Alps, all 
but one of those exceeding 14,000 ft., 
and fully two-thirds of those over 
13,000 ft. Throughout the whole 
central region of the Alps, from the 
valley of the Adige to the basin of the 
Isere and that of the Arve, a prevailing 
direction is observed in the chief valleys, 



the key to which is to be found in the 
Pennine chain. We thus find that the 
range of Mont Blanc lies between two 
parallel troughs, the valley of Chamouni 
and the Allee Blanche, directed from 
WSW. to ENE.; that the same di- 
rection is repeated in the Val Pellina, 
the Val Anzasca, the valley of the 
Trient, &c, and that if we carry the 
eye across the whole of Switzerland, we 
constantly encounter ridges and de- 
pressions of the surface that conform to 
the same direction. A line drawn from 
Martigny to Coire, with a slight disloca- 
tion between Leuk and Visp, marks a 
great line of depression nearly 120 
miles in length — traversed, it is true, by 
two ridges, and forming the channel for 
four difffrent streams, yet essentially 
but one trough, parallel to and nearly a 
continua; ion of the valley of Chamouni. 
Farther E. another great parallel line of 
depression may be traced from Kauns, 
in the valley of the Inn, to the source of 
that stream, and then over the Maloya 



§16. MONT BL. 



,ANC DISTRICT. 



Pass to Chiavenna, perhaps even from 
thence to Canobbio on the Lago 
Maggiore, and through the Val Vegezzo 
and Val Anzasca to the base of Monte 
Rosa. The line of lakes from Inter - 
laken to Kiissnacht, that between Orbe 
and Soleure, and the direction of most 
of the minor ranges of the Canton of 
Berne, all bear testimony to the exist- 
ence of forces which have operated over 
a wide area, but which have produced 
their maximum effect in the range of 
the Pennine Alps. 

The limits of the Pennine chain have 
been indicated in the preceding chapters. 
The valleys of Bonne val and Montjoie, 
between Bourg St. Maurice on the Isere 
and St. Gervais, and then the valley of 
the Arve to its confluence with the 
Rhone, mark the W. boundary. The 
pass of the Little St. Bernard, and the 
valley of the Dora Baltea as far as 
Ivrea, separate the Pennine from the 
Graian group. The valley of the 
Rhone, the pass of the Simplon. and the 
Val d'Ossola, serve to fix the N. and E. 
limits, and between Ivrea and Arona 
the massive buttresses of Monte Rosa 
sink into the plain of Piedmont. The 
mountain district of Chablais, lying 
between the Arve, the Rhone, and the 
Lake of Geneva, along with the adjacent 
Swiss valleys W. of the Rhone, is 
perhaps more intimately related to the 
Bernese than to the Pennine chain, but 
its contiguity to the latter makes it 
more convenient to include it in the 
present chapter. 

Within the limits here indicated the 
Pennine chain presents a tolerably con- 
tinuous range about 70 English miles 
long, in a straight line from the S W. end 
of the Mont Blanc range to the Eletsch- 
horn, with two great dislocations. The 
one, between Mont Blanc and the Ve- 
lan, gives place for the only passes 
in the chain that fall below the level of 
perpetual snow. The other dislocation 
is seen in the irregular zigzag line 
described by the crest of the chain 
between the Matte rhorn and theEktsch- 
horn, forming the range of Monte Rosa. 

The pre-eminence of Mont Blanc 



over every other summit of our con- 
tinent, the interest attaching to its 
ascent by Saussure, and the grand 
scenery of the valley itself, all combined 
to make Chamouni one of the earliest 
resorts of Alpine travellers, so that even 
before the French Revolution many 
strangers were seen in a valley which 
but a few years earlier was almost 
unknown. After the peace in 1814 
the stream of tourists began to flow in 
the same direction. The natives of the 
valley saw and used the advantages 
put in their way, and early established 
inns much better than were found else- 
where in the Alps. The number of 
visitors constantly increased, but until a 
comparatively late period Mont Blanc 
and the pass of the Great St. Bernard 
were the only portions of the Pennine 
Alps at all generally known. A few 
Swiss and German naturalists, and a 
still smaller number of adventurous 
Englishmen, had followed on the foot- 
steps of Saussure in the valleys sur- 
rounding Monte Rosa, but it is only 
within the last twenty years that general 
attention has been directed to that 
region, which, although far less easy of 
access, is now recognised as second to 
none other in the union of all the elements 
of the sublime in nature. Still more 
recently, and mainly through, the exer- 
tions of members of the Alpine Club, 
the central portion of the Pennine chain 
has been thoroughly explored, and the 
establishment of tolerably good inns at 
Evolena and Zinal will probably soon 
be followed by the appearance of others 
in the Val de Bagnes and the Val 
Pellina. The southern valleys of Monte 
Rosa are now pretty well supplied with 
inns, and every year sees some improve- 
ment in the provision made for travellers. 



SECTION 16. 

MONT BLANC DISTRICT. 

The mountain mass which includes 
the highest summit of our continent lies 



176 



PEXXIXE ALPS. § 16. 



MONT BLANC DISTRICT. 



between the two parallel valleys of 
Chamouni and the Allee Blanche,* the 
latter being formed by the meeting of 
two torrents which flow in opposite 
directions towards the village of En- 
troves, and escape to the SE. by a 
broad opening between the Mont 
Chetif and the Mont de la Saxe to form 
the main stream of the Dora Baltea. 
It is questionable whether the range may 
most properly be described as a single 
ridge, throwing out on the N. side f 
massive buttresses, which are crowned 
by towers and pinnacles that rival in 
height those of the central ridge, or as 
two parallel ridges linked t< -gether by 
connecting walls of rock, and with this 
peculiarity, that the northern ridge is 
broken through by numerous gaps, 
through which the vast accumulations 
of ice formed in the central basins are 
drained by the glaciers descending into 
the valley of Chamouni. At the W. end 
of the range several great glaciers 
descend into the Val de Montjoie, 
while the opposite extremity, limited by 
the Val Eerrex, the Dranse, and the 
Trient, is also bordered by numerous 
glaciers whose streams are poured into 
those valleys. 

As already explained, the principal 
ridge of this range is that which rises 
on the S. side immediately above the 
Allee Blanche. Although the crest does 
not maintain continuously so high a 
level as that of Monte Rosa, this may be 
pronounced for combined length, height, 
and steepness to be the most formidable 
barrier existing in the Alps. Through- 
out the space of 18 m., between the 
Aiguille du Glacier and the Mont 
Dolent, but two passes — the Col du 
Geant and the Col de Miage — have 



* This is correctly written La Lex Blanche, 
but it does not seem possible to change the re- 
ceived spelling. We here apply the name to the 
entire valley, although the E. portion is fre- 
quently distinguished as Val Ferrex and a small 
part towards the centre is sometimes called Val 
de Veni. 

f For convenience, we speak as if the range 
of Mont Blanc lay E. and W., but it will be re- 
collected that the true direction of the main 
ridge, and of the valleys on either side, approaches 
NE. and SW. 



ever been effected, while the ridge of 
Monte Rosa is now known to be acces- 
sible in many directions. The passes 
discovered of late years, which are ap- 
proached by the Glaciers du Tour and Ar- 
gentine, lead into the Swiss Val Ferret, 
and not to the Italian side of the range. 

The name Mont Blanc is sometimes 
applied collectively to the entire, or to a 
great portion of the range ; we here 
confine it to the central peak which 
overtops all its attendant peaks and 
aiguilles by nearly 2,000 ft., and is cut 
off from its chief rivals by the Col de 
Miage on the W., and on the NE. by 
the depression between the Aiguille du 
Midi and the Mont Blanc de Tacul. 
The latter projecting point, as well as 
the higher eminence called Aiguille de 
Saussure, are properly but portions of 
the main peak, and the same may be 
observed of the continuous ridge which 
extends from the top by the so-called 
Bosse du Dromadaire and the Dome du 
Goute to the Aiguille du Goute. The 
remaining portion of the range of Mont 
Blanc is not natural iy divided into 
large and distinct masses, but exhibits 
in extraordinary perfection that charac- 
teristic form of sharp craggy pinnacle 
that has received the name Aiguille. 
Most of those in the neighbourhood of 
Chamouni, the Allee Blanche, and the 
Val de Montjoie are known by distinct 
names, but this does not hold as to the 
less accessible part of the range, and 
there is no reason why Alpine topo- 
graphy should be overladen by a 
further increase of separate names for 
each pinnacle in a range where these 
are counted by hundreds. 

Two outlying ranges closely con- 
nected with the Mont Blanc range are 
included in the present section. To 
the of the valley of Chamouni the 
range of the Aiguilles Kouges, con- 
nected with the Buet, but nearly 
separated by the glens of Valorsine and 
that of the Dioza, cannot well be 
detached from the adjoining valley of 
Chamouni. For the same reason the 
range of the Cramont, between the 
Allee Blanche and the road of the 



ROUTE A. PARIS TO CHAMOUNI. 



177 



Little St. Bernard is not placed apart 
from Courmayeur, which lies close to its 
base. 

The two Alpine villages above 
named, Chamouni and Courmayeur, are 
the natural head -quarters to which tra- 
vellers resort, according as they would 
establish themselves on the N. or S. 
side of the range. A mountaineer may 
find very tolerable accommodation, for 
which he will be made to pay liberally, 
at many points higher up, and con- 
veniently placed for glacier excursions 
and ascents- It results frcm the form of 
the range rather than from any want of 
speculative keenness on the part of the 
inhabitants, that there is not here any 
inn in a central position and at a con- 
siderable height, as on the Eiffel or the 
Aeggischhorn, where a mountaineer 
can sojourn with satisfaction while 
exploring the surrounding peaks. On 
the other hand it may be remarked, 
that there is no great mountain mass 
so admirably provided with natural 
belvederes, whence it may be viewed 
on every side, as that of Mont Blanc. 
These are the Brevent, the Cramont, 
and the Mont Joli, all of them possess- 
ing the great advantage that a deep 
valley lies between the observer and the 
main range rising on the opposite side. 

On all sides of Mont Blanc the lan- 
guage of the natives is a more or less 
corrupt French patois. 



Route A. 

PARIS TO CHAMOUNI, BY GENEVA- 
EXCURSIONS FROM CHAMOUNI. 

Kilometres Eng. miles 
. 560 348 
. 67 41 £ 

. 28 I7i 
. H£ 9 
. 16 



Culoz 
Geneva . 
Bonneville 
Cluses 
Sallanches 
Servoz 
Chamouni 



16 



10 
9 
10 



716 444f 
Railway from Paris to Geneva in 14 hrs. 40 min. 
Diligence from Geneva to Sallanches in 6 hrs, 
Light carriages from Sallanches to Chamouni 
in 4 hrs. 

The only direct train from Paris to 
Geneva is the night express, leaving 



Paris at 8 p.m. This reaches Culoz 
(§ 10, Rte. A) at 9.3 a.m., in conjunc- 
tion with the train which starts from 
Lyons at 5.40 a.m., and arrives at 
Geneva at 10.40 a.m. Above Culoz the 
valley of the Rhone mounts due N. 
for 20 m. along the E. base of the 
Mont Colombier (§ 10, Bte. A), and 
the limestone range which extends 
thence to the Valserine ; the rly. 
keeps to the rt. bank, passing Seyssel 
and Pyrimont, places chiefly known for 
the extensive deposits of asphalt which 
occur in this neighbourhood, and supply 
their produce to all Europe. To the N. 
the valley seems to be closed by the 
steep face of the Credo (5,3280, tn © S. 
extremity of the main range of the 
Jura. After passing through four 
tunnels the rly. reaches Bellegarde 
(H. de la Poste ; H. de la Perte du 
Bhone), formerly a place of some note 
because of the meeting of the diligences 
from Paris, Lyons, and Geneva. A 
traveller not overpressed for time will 
do well to halt here to visit the Perte 
du Rhone. In passing round the base 
of the Credo, and between that moun- 
tain and the Vuache on the opposite 
bank, the Rhone has cut through thick 
deposits of diluvium, and, on reaching 
the underlying limestone has so worked 
into this and enlarged the fissures with 
which it abounds, that in one place the 
entire stream passes through the sub- 
terranean passage so excavated, and 
for a short space disappears from the 
light of day. This is, however, only 
true when the waters are low ; at other 
times the underground passage is in- 
sufficient, and a portion of the stream 
passes above the natural bridge. 
Equally well worth seeing is the junc- 
tion of the Valserine with the Rhone, 
which occurs close to Bellegarde. 
When the former stream is not too full, 
it is possible to descend into its bed 
and observe the vertical walls of the 
chasm which it has worked in the 
rock. A guide is not required to find 
the Perte du Rhone. Beyond the 
bridge by which the post road crosses 
i the Valserine the first road turning 
N 



178 



PENNINE ALPS. § 16. 



MONT BLANC DISTRICT. 



down to the rt. leads in 8 or 10 min. to 
the wooden bridge which marks the 
spot; At Bellegarde the railway crosses 
the gorge of the Valserine by a very 
fine \iaduct, 160 ft. in height, and then 
enters one of the most considerable 
railway tunnels on the continent, 1\ m. 
in length, cut through the base of the 
Credo. On escaping from the tunnel 
the line passes between the river and 
the rocky face of the mountain, under 
the Fort de l'Ecluse (1,3880, whicn 
guards this entrance into France. 
After passing two small tunnels, the 
mountains on either side recede from 
the Rhone, and the railway enters the 
undulating plain which extends to the 
Lake of Geneva, and the neighbourhood 
of the city is marked by the well-known 
ridge of the Saleve seen on the rt. In 
21 j m. from Bellegarde it reaches 

Geneva (Inns : H. de la Metropole, 
opposite the new Jardin Anglais, on the 
L bank of the Rhone, very large, and 
said to be well kept; Ecu de Geneve, 
on 1. bank, by the Pont des Bergues, 
very well kept, rather dear, perhaps the 
best for families ; JEL des Bergues, on 
the rt. bank (the front windows have a 
glimpse of Mont Blanc), dear; H. d'An- 
gleterre, H. Victoria; this and the last 
are near the rly. station, and are said 
to be well conducted and reasonable; 
H. de la Couronne, 1. bank, much 
frequented, rather cheaper than the 
three first mentioned ; H. du Lac, 1. 
bank; H. du Rhono,l. bank, clean and 
reasonable; H. des Etrangers, in the new 
quarter on rt. bank; H. de la Balance, 
away from the river, second-class house, 
but clean, comfortable, and moderate ; 
Lion d'Or; Grand Aigle; H. du Nord), 
the capital of the smallest canton in 
Switzerland, but the richest and most 
important city of the Confederation, 
which, in part through its natural ad- 
vantages, in part through the intellectual 
activity of its inhabitants, but mainly 
because, with the exception of the French 
domination between 1798 and 1814, it 
has maintained for centuries its political 
independence, has held a place in Europe 
quite disproportioned to its population 



and resources. Although there is no 
city, for its size, so well supplied with 
hotels, the number of strangers is at times 
so great, that, when ladies are of the 
party, it is prudent to secure rooms 
beforehand, as those who neglect the 
precaution are sometimes driven to inns 
of the lowest class. The town has been 
almost rebuilt and largely increased 
during the last 30 years, and from its 
former mean appearance has put on an 
aspect of wealth and stateliness be fitting 
its admirable natural position at the out- 
let of the finest of the Swiss lakes, in a 
rich stripe of country that lies as in a bay 
between the Jura and the Alps. To 
effect these changes, it has been neces- 
sary, at some sacrifice of the picturesque, 
and perhaps aiso of patriotic feeling, to 
remove the ancient fortifications, which 
are now replaced by new streets, pro- 
menades, and gardens. The rly. station 
which, besides serving the trains from 
Paris and Lyons (keeping Paris time), 
is the point of departure (by Berne time) 
for Lausanne and the Valais, or for 
Berne, Neufchatel, Bale, and the whole 
N. of Switzerland, stands just outside 
the town on the N. side; the lake steam- 
ers, on the contrary, start from the Grand 
Quai, on the 1. bank of the Rhone, 
whereon all the principal hotels (except 
the Bergues) are situated. 

The ancient cathedral, built in the 
10th and 11th centuries, but injured by 
subsequent alterations, and especially 
by the facade erected in 1749, contains 
some interesting monuments. 

The Public Library, with many pre- 
cious MSS., including numerous auto- 
graph letters and manuscript works of 
John Calvin, is open daily, from 1 1 a.m. 
to 4 P.M. 

The Musee d'Histoire Naturelle, in 
the Grande Rue, is interesting to the 
student, on account of the original 
geological collections of Saussure and 
Necker, the fossil plants of Brongniart 
and De Candolle, and other collections 
named by the distinguished men who 
have made Geneva one of the centres 
of European science. The antiquary 
will also find some objects worth his 



ROUTE A. GENEVA. 



179 



notice. This museum is open to the 
public only for two hours on Sundays 
and Thursdays ; but a stranger may 
gain admission at other times. 

Lunel's Zoological Museum of the 
Alps, at Plainpalais (entrance lfr.), is 
very well arranged, and the specimens 
are in good condition. 

The Musee Rath, founded by General 
Rath, comprises casts from the antique 
and from Pradier's best statues, and a 
collection of pictures, including several 
good specimens of Calame and Diday, 
the most eminent Swiss landscape paint- 
ers. It is open to the public on Sun- 
days and Thursdays, from 11 a.m. to 3 
p.m. ; at othtr times on payment of lfr. 

A large model of the range of Mont 
Blanc, exhibited in the new Jardin 
Anglais, will be interesting to many 
mountaineers. Admission from 1 1 a.m. 
to 3 p.m.*; on Sundays and Thursdays 
free ; at other times 1 fr. each. 

The Botanic Garden, founded by the 
elder De Candolle, is very well kept. 

The observatory is under the direc- 
tion of Professor E. PJantamour, well 
known for his valuable contributions to 
Alpine Meteorology. Meteorological 
observations are made every second 
hour between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m., cor- 
responding with similar observations 
at the Great St. Bernard. A traveller 
carrying a barometer should not omit 
to compare with the Geneva standard. 
The height of the cistern above the sea- 
level is 408 metres, or 1,338.6 English ft. 

Just beyond the port, on the E. shore 
of the lake, are two ice -borne granite 
boulders, projecting out of the water, 
and called Pierres de Niton, from the 
traditional belief that they were an- 
ciently used for sacrifices to Neptune. 
Their height above the sea -level is 
1,231 ft. 

Geneva abounds in boarding-houses 
and pensions suited to the various wants 
and means of the large number of 
foreigners who resort hither for educa- 
tion, society, economy, or attracted by 
the scenery of the city and its neigh- 
bourhood. The charges vary from 100 
to 300 fr. a month. It is wise to con- 



sult some respectable inhabitant before 
making a selection. 

An English club, with reading- 
rooms, &c, has been opened at No. 5, 
Quai du Mont Blanc. Gentlemen are 
admitted for a single day, or for a 
longer period. 

English goods of every description 
are found here better than at most towns 
on the continent. 

The British consulate is in the Rue 
du Rhone. 

Several of the Genevese physicians 
have studied in England,, and speak 
English perfectly ; and Dr. Metcalfe, an 
English physician, resides for the 
greater part of the year at 3, Quai du 
Mont Blanc. 

Omnibuses ply between the town and 
the rly. station, and also to and from 
Carouge and Fernex. 

Fiacres, or voitures de place, cost 
2.50fr. per hour, and 65c. for each 
\ hr. additional. Charge for a drive 
round the town, by the 4 Nouvelle cir- 
conscription,' 1.50fr. 

Small boats with a single rower for 
short excursions on the lake are charged 
2 or 3fr. an hour. 

Cafes are numerous, and it is not un- 
usual for persons staying at an hotel to 
breakfast at a cafe. The Cafes du Nord, 
de la Couronne, and de la Metropole, 
are amongst the best. The first is also 
a good restaurant. 

Smokers may prudently supply them- 
selves with cigars or tobacco at Geneva. 

The public walks in and about the 
town may challenge comparison with 
those of any city in Europe. The foot- 
bridge, Pont des Bergues, and the He 
Rousseau, with Pradier's fine statue of 
J. -J. Rousseau, dividing the waters of 
the 4 arrowy Rhone' just as they issue 
from the lake, is the first point of attrac- 
tion to strangers; but the new prome- 
nades on the site of the old bastions 
also deserve a visit. 

The environs of Geneva are studded 
with villas, which for the most part 
command beautiful views of the lake 
and the mountains. In the opposite 
direction from the lake, the junction of 
2 



180 



PENNINE ALPS. § 1G. 



MONT BLANC DISTRICT. 



the Arve with the Rhone, about 1 m. I 
out of the town, is worth a visit. The 
former is laden with the impalpable 
powder into which the rocks of Mont 
Blanc are ground beneath the glaciers 
that feed the stream, and. in addition to 
this, with the detritus of the sedimentary 
deposits through which it flows from 
Sallanches to Geneva; while the waters 
of the "Rhone, after depositing their im- 
purities in the bed of the lake, acquire 
the exquisite blue tint that fascinates 
the common .observer and excites the 
curiosity of the man of science, who has 
not found a completely satisfactory ex- 
planation. 

The mountaineer when within sight 
of the snowy Alps is not likely to halt 
long at Geneva; but among the nume- 
rous points of view which may be reached 
from hence are some that in their way 
can scarcely be surpassed. The range 
of the Jura, extending from the Mont 
Colombier, near Culoz, to Soleure, forms 
a natural terrace from whence to survey 
the Swiss and Savoy Alps. One who 
ascends to a height of 3,000 or 4,000 ft. 
anywhere in the range, overlooks the 
intermediate lower country, and takes 
in some considerable portion of the 
great girdle of snowy peaks that en- 
closes the basin of the Rhone. The 
effect of this panorama is immeasurably 
increased when a broad expanse of water 
lies in the space between the -eye and the 
distant background; and hence it hap- 
pens that the finest views from the Jura 
are those obtained from the parts of the 
range near the W, end of the Lake of 
Geneva, or from above Neufchatel. The 
latter position is the more central, being 
about equidistant from the highest 
peaks of the Savoy and the Bernese 
Alps. The Jura above Geneva is much 
nearer to Mont Blanc than to the Ber- 
nese chain, the former being about 60 
m. distant, and the panorama, though 
more striking towards the SW., is less 
complete; but the Lake Leman, extend- 
ing from the spectator's feet for a dis- 
tance of 40 m., with its broad channel 
gradually contracted between heights 
which rise higher and higher on either I 



! hand until they merge in the back* 
ground of snowy peaks, is an object 
which, when seen under favourable cir- 
cumstances, can never be forgotten. To 
enjoy this view it is not necessary to 
reach the higher summits of the Jura, 
which surpass by some 1,200 ft. the 
general level of the range. It may be 
obtained, without trouble, by mounting 
the old road leading from Geneva to 
Dijon by Gex and La Vattay, to the 
Col de la Faucille (4,374'), or rather 
less perfectly from the road which was 
at a later period preferred, by Nyon 
and St. Cergues. The pedestrian will, 
however, be tempted to reach the sum- 
mit of La Dole (5,519'), lying between 
these two roads, which is, perhaps, the 
most desirable point from whence to 
view this matchless panorama. The 
Dole, being the highest summit in the 
Jura range, overlooks an extensive 
horizon to the N. an-d W., and at its 
W. base lies the Yal de Dappes, long 
in dispute between France and Switzer- 
land, but lately become the subject of 
amicable compromise. The road from 
Geneva to Gex passes the 'Chateau de 
Fernex, long inhabited by Voltaire, and 
visited by strangers for the sake of the 
various memorials which were preserved 
there. The place has lately fallen into 
the hands of a wealthy tradesman, who 
has transformed the house and grounds, 
and destroyed or removed the relics 
which had so long formed the admira- 
tion of sight-seers. 

The Reculet is one of the summits of 
the Jura due W. of Geneva, not com- 
manding quite so fine a view as the 
Dole, but more interesting to the natu- 
ralist, because of its varied flora. 

The Saleve is a ridge of limestone 
lying S. of the city, partly divided 
by a depression, or gap, where stands 
the village of Monetier (pronounced 
Montier). To the NE. of Monetier is 
the Petit Saleve, and in the opposite 
direction the far larger mass of the 
Grand Saleve (4,537'). The escarp- 
ment towards the city is so steep as to 
be in great part quite inaccessible; but 
I the gap between the two portions of the 



ROUTE A VALLEY OF THE ARVE. 



181 



mountain is easily reached by a steep 
path, partly cut in the rock, called Pas 
de l'Echelle, leading direct to the village, 
where there is a comfortable stopping- 
place — Hotel et Pension de la Recon- 
naissance — sometimes resorted to lor 
change of air. From Monetier the Petit 
Saleve is reached with ease by ladies. 
The Grand Saleve involves an ascent of 
hr., passing a herdsman's cottage, 
near to a few solitary trees, called Cha- 
let des Treize Arbres. Tbe SE. slope 
of the mountain facing the valley of the 
Arve is covered with blocks of proto- 
gine, evidently originating in the Mont 
Blanc chain. The mode of transport of 
these blocks has been long a question 
among geologists. Fatal accidents have 
arisen from attempts to descend the 
Saleve through gullies which are prac- 
ticable above, but become gradually 
steeper, and terminate in precipices. 
One of these gullies, called La Grande 
Gorge, though steep, is quite accessible, 
and is often visited by botanists. The 
mountain is rich in rare plants, among 
which Arabis sa. rat His, Hieracium an- 
dryaloides and H. ylaucum, and Oro- 
banche Laserpitii Sileris mav be speci- 
fied. 

There are two departures daily from 
Geneva to Chamouni by diligence to 
Sallanches in 6 hrs., and from that place 
in 4 hrs. to Chamouni by chars or light 
two-horse carriages. A place through 
to Chamouni costs about 1 5fr. Many 
of the diligences are arranged with 
seats for passengers covering the entire 
roof, as in fine weather few persons 
willingly travel inside. A char from 
Geneva to St. Martin costs 30fr., and 
to Chamouni 45fr. There is no 
advantage whatever in engaging places 
to return from Chamouni to Geneva 
either by diligence or hired carriage, 
as those who may not be tempted to 
vary the road for returning to Geneva 
may always find means of conveyance. 
A pedestrian taking his place to St. 
Martin, and walking on from thence, 
may easily reach Chamouni half an 
hour before the diligence passengers, 
thus gaining an advantage over those 



who have not taken the precaution to 
secure rooms beforehand. 

At Annemasse (Inns : Balances ; 
Lion d'Or), about 4 m. from Geneva, is 
the French frontier, with passport and 
custom-house offices. As usual with 
French officials, they are commonly civil 
and easy-going, but at times carping and 
vexatious. The road keeps over an 
undulating plateau at some distance 
from the Arve, and after crossing the 
Menoge by a modern lofty bridge of 
three arches, standing above a single 
inferior arch, passes the village of 
Nangy, and leaves on the 1. hand the 
road to Sixtby St. Jeoire and Tanninges 
(§ 17, Rte. A), before reaching 

Contamines (Inn: Ecu de Savoie), at 
the western base of the Mole (6,128'), 
a conical mountain presenting a fine 
appearance from this road. To the L, 
on a steep rock, stand the ruins of the 
Castle of Faucigvy, which gave its name 
to this province of Savoy. The valley 
of the Arve now lies between the Mole 
to the N. and the Brezon (6,0il'), a 
favourite resort of botanists, to the S., 
and on the rt. bank stands 

Bonneville (Inns : Ecu de Geneve ; 
Couronne ; Balances), formerly capital 
of the Province of Faucigny. For 
the routes to Annecy and Thones, see 
§ 12. From hence the summit of the 
Mole may be reached in 3^ hrs. and 
that of the Brezon in 3j hrs. From 
the latter mountain it is easy to descend 
by Saxonnex to Cluses. 

There is a new road from Bonneville 
by the rt. bank of the Arve, which is 
used by passengers bound for St. Jeoire 
or Tanninges, but the opposite bank is 
preferred by those going to Sallanches. 
A straight and dusty road along the 1. 
bank leads to Vougy, opposite the 
junction of the Arve with its most 
important affluent, the Giffre, descend- 
ing from the valley of Sixt (§ 17); 
4 m. farther is Scion zier, near the 
entrance to the wild and picturesque 
glen of the Reposoir (§ 12), and in 
another mile the traveller, after cross- 
ing the Arve, reaches 

Cluses (Inns : Ecu de France ; Union), 



182 



PENNINE ALPS. § 16. MONT BLANC DISTRICT. 



a small town devoted to watch-making, 
burnt down in 1844, and since rebuilt. 
A char-road from hence leads over the 
ridge to the X. by Chatillon to 
Tanninges, about 6 m., or to Samoens 
about 12 m. Below Cluses, which is 
but 390 ft. above the level of the Lake 
of Geneva, the Arve has flowed through 
a wide bed through a comparatively open 
country. From hence for several miles 
it passes through a narrow defile, 
forming a worthy portal to the grand 
scenery that awaits the traveller who 
would approach its sources in the 
glaciers of Mont Blanc. This defile, 
which mounts nearly due S., is com- 
monly called Vallee de Magland, and 
lies between the Chaine des Fretes, the 
limestone range separating the Arve 
and the Giffre, and a nearly vertical 
wall of rock which extends continuously 
to the Mont Fleuri above the Chartreuse 
du Reposoir. At the hamlet of La 
Balme, 2| m. beyond Cluses, the defile 
opens a little, and a slope of debris, 
800 ft. high, marks the spot where a 
cavern penetrates deeply into the lime- 
stone. This has been turned to account 
by the speculative spirit of the natives. 
The admission is charged 3fr., and 
mules are kept to carry up passers-by 
who may be tempted to visit the cave. 
It is not, however, particularly well 
worth the delay to anyone who has 
seen similar caverns, common in all 
limestone districts. Another mode of 
extracting francs from strangers is 
practised here, and at the Nant 
dArpenaz, 5 m. farther on, by firing 
small cannon, whose reverberation 
between the steep rocks on either side 
of the defile produces a striking effect. 
Farther on a powerful spring bursts out 
by the road-side, which was supposed 
by Saussure to be the outlet of the 
Lac de Flaine, an Alpine tarn on the 
upper level of the Chaine des Fretes 
(§ 17, Rte. B), and immediately beyond 
is the village of Magland, whose 
population seems to live by dealing in 
echoes, scraps of crystal or pyrites, and 
by more direct appeals to the charity 
or weakness of the crowds of strangers 



who pass here throughout the sum- 
mer. 3 m. farther, about 7 m. from 
Cluses, is the Nant dArpenaz, one of 
the highest waterfalls in the Alps, 
being about 850 ft. from top to bottom, 
but, except after heavy rain or in the 
spring, the volume of water is so small 
that it is broken into spray long before 
it reaches the lower ledge, and, save at 
such times, it is scarcely worth the 
trouble to approach it nearer than the 
road. 2 m. farther, where the valley 
opens out at the W. foot of the Aiguille 
de Veran. is the small village of St. 
Martin (Inns : H. du Mont Blanc, 
tolerably good, dear ; Croix Blanche). 
Travellers for Chamouni on foot or in 
hired carriages have no occasion to 
cross the Arve, but the diligences all do 
so, making a detour of f m. to and fro, 
in order to reach 

Sallanches (Inns : Belvedere; Le- 
man), a little town (1,793') which was 
completely destroyed by fire in 1840, and 
has been since rebuilt with much im- 
proved houses. The diligences halt 
for dinner while the carriages that are 
to carry the passengers to Chamouni 
are being got ready. The entertain- 
ment is said to be indifferent and dear, 
and passengers are advised to content 
themselves with a luncheon at a little 
restaurant adjoining the diligence 
office, and reserve themselves for a 
more' substantial and better cooked 
dinner at Chamouni in the evening. 

The view of Mont Blanc from this 
part of the valley of the Arve is justly 
celebrated, and is, indeed, in some 
respects unique in the Alps. The 
views of the higher mountains when 
not seen from a great distance are 
almost always gained from some narrow 
valley, where a limited portion only can 
be seen, or else from some ridge or 
summit that overlooks the intermediate 
valleys. Here at the foot of the range 
I of Mont Blanc, the valley of the Arve, 
between the Yallee de Magland and 
the Val de Montjoie, opens out in a 
broad basin with the entire W. end 
of the range fully in view, a fertile 
plain in the foreground, and the pine- 



ROUTE A. APPROACH TO CHAMOUNI. 



183 



covered heights that enclose St. Ger- 
vais filling the middle distance. In 
perfect symmetry, without the same- 
ness that is the fault of human archi- 
tecture, the summit of Mont Blanc 
occupies the centre of the picture. To 
the 1. is seen the Dome du Goute, and 
the ridge connecting it with the Aiguille 
de Bionnassay, while beyond these are 
perceived the Aiguille du Midi and Ai- 
guille Verte. On the rt. of the summit 
the Aiguille de Miage is conspicuous, 
and beyond it the peaks that connect it 
with the Col du Bonhomme. The 
Glaciers of Bionnassay and Miage are 
seen surrounded by the formidably 
steep ridges that enclose their upper 
basins, and a great part of the way to 
the summit of Mont Blanc by what is 
called the St. Gervais route, and a part 
of the pass of the Col de Miage, may 
be traced in detail through the glass. 
It is true that the distance in a direct 
line to the summit of Mont Blanc is 
very nearly 14 miles, but as it is raised 
14,000 ft. above the level of the valley, 
the angular elevation is as great as 
is compatible with a general view. 
The Monte Rosa as seen from the Val 
Anzasca is a more wonderful, perhaps 
also a more fascinating object, but for 
massive and stately grandeur this aspect 
of Mont Blanc surpasses all rivals. The 
view may be seen in perfection from 
the bridge close to St. Martin, and it is 
quite unnecessary to diverge to Sallan- 
ches out of the traveller's direct course. 

Several interesting excursions may be 
made from Sallanches or St. Martin, 
but most of these are equally accessible 
from St. Gervais (Rte. C), which is a 
more agreeable stopping-place. The 
ascent of the Aiguille de Veran, com- 
monly but incorrectly written Varens, 
is an exception to the last observation, 
as it immediately overhangs St. Martin, 
and requires a full day's work to go and 
return. A guide is necessary, as the 
ascent is very steep in parts, and the 
successive barriers of limestone rock 
which require to be scaled are accessible 
only in places where a lew steps have 
been cut to make them practicable. 



In about 3 hrs. from St. Martin the 
traveller reaches a very singular tract 
of nearly bare rock, extending for 
several miles along the upper part of 
the ridge separating the Arve and the 
GifFre, and surmounted by numerous 
peaks and shattered ridges of singular 
form. On the undulating surface of 
this plateau, called Desert de Platei, 
the action of the elements has worked 
parallel fissures in the limestone re- 
sembling in form and arrangement the 
crevasses of glaciers. The Aiguille de 
Veran is 8,975 ft. in height, and neces- 
sarily commands a grand view. (See § 17, 
Rte. B.) 

The road from St. Martin to Cha- 
mouni, so much improved of late years 
as to be practicable for two-horse 
carriages, follows for about 2j m. 
the rt. bank of the Arve, here re- 
tained within its bed by massive 
embankments. Near the village of 
Passy, lying to the 1. of the road, is 
the junction of the Arve with the 
Bonnant issuing from the valley of 
Montjoie, at the base of a mountain 
ridge which is in fact a spur issuing 
from the main ridge of Mont Blanc and 
connecting the Aiguille du Goute with 
the Vaudagne. This ridge forms a 
barrier across the W. end of the 
valley of Chamouni, which would re- 
tain therein the waters of the Arve, if 
that stream had not found a circuitous 
way through a gorge, partly cut out by 
the stream itself, that circles round the 
N. side of the Vaudagne. Through 
this gorge the road to Chamouni begins 
to ascend near the village of Chede, 
whence a char-road along the W. base 
of the Vaudagne leads to the Baths of 
St. Gervais (Rte. C). Tourists often 
visit a pretty waterfall that lies about 
15 min. 1. of the village, but the little 
lake which formerly reflected the snowy 
peak of Mont Blanc in an exquisite 
framework of rock and pine forest was 
completely choked up with rocks and 
debris by a landslip in 1837. Above 
the site of the lake the Pont aux 
Chevres, a wooden bridge over the 
Arve, leads by a footpath to the Pont 



184 



PENNINE ALPS. § 16. 



MONT BLANC DISTRICT. 



Pelissier in rather less time than the 
road. A little farther the road crosses 
the Nant. Noir, a torrent that borrows 
its name from the anthracitic slates 
through which it descerds, and in 
violent rains has frequently made the 
road impassable to man or beast. The 
defile of the Arve is here enclosed on 
the N. by the Rochers des Fys, a lofty 
range of shattered peaks, one of which 
fell with a terrific crash, mistaken in 
the neighbouring valleys for the out- 
burst of a volcano, in 1751. The huge 
pile of debris called Derochoir, between 
the Aiguille de Platei on the W. and 
the Aiguille dAyer to the E., marks the 
site of the catastrophe. Here the defile 
opens a little, giving place to the vil- 
lage of 

Servoz (Inns: Univers, tolerably 
good and reasonable ; Balance), formed 
of two clusters of houses, about 2,626 
ft. above the sea. Near the church is a 
cabinet of minerals kept for sale. This 
is the most convenient starting-point 
for a visit to the Rochers des Fys, and 
for the mule-path to Sixt over the 
Col d'Anterne (§ 17). 

The summit of the Buet may also 
be reached in 8 J or 9 hrs.' steady walk- 
ing (see § 17, Rte. D). Deschamps and 
Eelizas have been recommended as 
guides. By the bridge over the Dioza, 
which descends from a glacier of the 
Buet, is a monument to E. A. Eschen, 
a German translator of Horace, who 
perished on that mountain in 1801. 
Above Servoz the gorge of the Arve is 
again contracted, and in about lj m. 
the road passes to the 1. bank by the 
Pont Pelissier, where it is joined by the 
foot-path from Chede. Here follows a 
steep ascent over ice-worn rocks, where- 
on may be observed erratic blocks of 
protogine from the centre of the Mont 
Blanc range, left on the slope by the 
retirement of the ancient glaciers. 
After mounting 2 m. nearly due S. 
from the bridge, the road emerges from 
the defile of the Arve, turns to the 1., 
and looks along the whole length of 
the valley of Chamouni to the Col de 
Balme at its E. extremity. 



The first impression of the stranger 
on entering this famous valley is pro- 
bably that of disappointment. Its un- 
usual direction, parallel instead of per- 
pendicular to the main range, leaves no 
striking object to close the vista, and 
the great aiguilles that enclose the Mer 
de Glace, and which, as seen from the 
valley, are far more striking objects than 
the summit of Mont Blanc, are better 
viewed some miles farther on than from 
the W. end, where the peak of Mont 
Blanc is also concealed behind the huge 
mass of the Dome du Goute. The ob- 
jects which chiefly attract attention are 
the great glaciers descending along 
the S. side of the valley through each of 
the openings that give access to the 
upper level where the snows accumu- 
late. The two nearest comparatively 
insignificant glaciers are the Gl. de 
Griaz and Gl. de Borgeat, lying on the 
steep slope of the Aiguille du Goute. 
Beyond these is the GL de Taconnay, 
divided by the Montagne de la Cote 
from the still more imposing Gl. des 
Bossons. Farther off, beyond the 
Prieure, is the Gl. des Bois, but the 
great glaciers of Argentiere and Tour 
are not visible. The effect is most 
striking to one who arrives late, and 
has the good fortune to see the glaciers 
partially lighted by the moon in her 
second quarter. By daylight the colour 
of the ice is less brilliantly white than is 
commonly expected, and the eye, still 
unused to the grand scale of all the 
surrounding objects, does not adequately 
estimate the dimensions of these vast 
streams of ice. The first village in the 
valley is Les Ouches, sometimes written 
Les Houches, with a little inn (H. des 
Glaciers). Erom hence the ascent is 
very gentle during the five miles that 
lead to the chief village: about halfway, 
just after passing the lower end of the 
Glacier des Bossons, the road crosses 
back to the rt. bank of the Arve, and 
at each step the great Aiguilles sur- 
rounding the Mer de Glace come more 
fully into view, until the traveller 
reaches 

Chamouni (Inns : H. Royal de 



ROUTE A. — CHAMOUNI GUIDES. 



185 



l'Union, with two houses on opposite 
sides of the Arve — that on the S. side has 
the best rooms ; II. de Londres et d'An- 
gleterre, — also with two houses ; H. 
de Saussure with a dependanee which 
was formerly the Hotel de laCouronne. 
The above are all first-rate hotels, with 
first-rate prices, usually crowded dur- 
ing the season. Less handsomely got 
up, but clean and comfortable, is the H. 
Mont Blanc ; 4 visitors are taken en pen- 
sion at 7fr. a day, and for 6fr. if they 
remain over 6 days;' another minor inn, 
Au Rendezvous des Amis, is said to be 
decently kept and moderate in prices). 
When ladies are of the party, it is im- 
prudent not to secure rooms beforehand. 
Much nonsense has been written about 
the supposed discovery of Chamouni in 
the last century, but Mr. Markham 
Sherwill, in a tract published at Geneva, 
traced the authentic history of the valley 
up to the foundation of a Benedictine 
priory, about a.d. 1090, from whence 
the village is generally known in the 
valley as Le Prieure. To strangers it 
is universally known by the name 
Chamouni, derived from some fences 
or entrenchments, whence in early La- 
tin documents came the name Campus 
Munitus, and in the local patois Champ 
Mouni ; and on this account we reject 
the commoner, but corrupt, spelling, 
Chamonix. 

This large village, now grown nearly 
to a town, 3,425 ft. above the sea, sub- 
sists by the great influx of strangers, 
who come either to enjoy the grand 
scenery of the neighbourhood, or to fol- 
low a prevailing fashion. In fine 
weather few persons can be quite indif- 
ferent to the objects in view even from 
the village; but on wet days, or when 
the clouds lie low, no rare occurrence, 
time hangs rather heavily on the hands 
of most travellers. Reading rooms and 
billiard- tables have, however, been es- 
tablished of late years, and some will 
find an interest in examining the col- 
lections of minerals, plants, insects, &c, 
kept for sale by some of the more intelli- 
gent guides, and the models of Mont 
Blanc and Monte Rosa, executed by 



Michel Carrier. There are several shops 
where articles in carved wood, polished 
stones, and crystal ornaments are on 
sale. 

An English church was opened here 
in 1860. 

The chief occupation of the men in 
the valley is that of guide, and it is but 
justice to say that, as a body, the 
Chamouni guides are a very respectable 
and trustworthy set of men, and that the 
best amongst them have few rivals in 
all the qualities that make a first-rate 
mountaineer, though they may want 
something of the dash that is found 
among the foremost of the Bernese 
Oberland guides. 

For many years the Chamouni guides 
have formed a sort of corporation, sub- 
ject to regulations issued by Govern- 
ment authority. These regulations 
were thought by many to exercise an 
injurious influence over the men them- 
selves, as they certainly interfered with 
the liberty of foreign travellers. Re- 
monstrances urged from various quar- 
ters, but especially by the Committee of 
the Alpine Club, obtained from the 
Piedmontese Government a revision of 
the rules by which most of the more ob- 
noxious regulations were modified. On 
the cession of Savoy to France, the old 
rules were revived, and new representa- 
tions were addressed by the Alpine 
Club to the French authorities. The 
result was to procure the issue of a new 
code of regulations. w 7 hich have been in 
force since the month of May 1862, and 
which are in many respects an improve- 
ment upon those which preceded them. 
It may be convenient to travellers to 
find here a summary of the rules, and 
of the tariff which is annexed. 

The body of guides consists of na- 
tives of the valley admitted to the roll 
by the sub-prefect after previous evi- 
dence of fitness and good moral cha- 
racter, and an examination showing a 
fair elementary education and a 
thorough knowledge of the district. A 
chief guide is appointed by the prefect 
to superintend the discipline of the men, 
and to advise and assist travellers in 



13G 



PENNINE ALPS. § 16. 



MONT BLANC DISTRICT. 



the organisation of such expeditions as 
they may desire to make. A guide is 
liable to suspension or removal from the 
roll for misconduct, drunkenness (which 
is happily very rare), or for proved in- 
competency. 

Each guide is appointed to accom- 
pany travellers according to his turn in 
the list, but travellers are permitted to 
choose their own guides under the fol- 
lowing contingencies: — 

1. If they desire to undertake dan- 
gerous expeditions, and such as are 
classed as extraordinary. 

2. If occupied in scientific pursuits, 

3. If, being ignorant of French, they 
choose a guide able to speak En- 
glish, German, Italian, or any other 
foreign tongue. 

4. If in some former visit they have 
been accompanied by the guide 
whose services they demand. 

5. If (being ladies) they go unaccom- 
panied by a gentleman. 

Excursions are divided into two 
classes — ordinary and extraordinary. 
On ordinary excursions one guide is 
considered sufficient for a party, how- 
ever numerous, except that to the Jar- 
din, where, if the party exceeds three in 
number, two guides must be taken. 
Extraordinary excursions include Mont 
Blanc, the Col du Geant, and generally 
all glacier expeditions above the level 
of vegetation, and expeditions among 
the Swiss and Italian Alps. For Mont 
Blanc, a single traveller must take three 
guides, and one additional guide must 
be added for each additional traveller; 
hut for one of the guides it is allowable 
to substitute one or more porters. For 
the Col du Geant one traveller must 
take two guides, two must take three 
guides, and above that number there 
must be one guide for each traveller. 
On other high glacier expeditions the 
number of guides must be at least equal 
to that of the travellers. 

Members of the Alpine Club, and 
such other travellers as can give evi- 
dence of having made several difficult 
expeditions in the higher regions of the 
Alps, are exempted from all restrictions, 



both as to the choice of such guides as 
they may prefer, and as to the number 
of guides that they may consider ne- 
cessary. 

Travellers and guides are free to 
agree amongst themselves as to the pay- 
ment to be made to the latter for their 
services, but in the absence of such 
special agreement, payment is fixed by 
tariff, and the charges are in no case to 
exceed the sums there set down. 

The following are the chief items in 
the Tariff:— 



Mont Blanc 100 francs 

Grand Plateau 50 „ 

Grands Mulets, returning next 

day 40 „ 

Do. returning same 
day 20 „ 

Pierre de I'Echelle . . . . 10 „ 

Mer de Glace, going and returning 
by Montanvers .... 6 „ 

Mer de Glace, going or returning 

by the Chapeau . . . . 10 „ 

Jardin, going and returning by 

Montanvers . . . 12 „ 

Jardin, returning by the Chapeau . 14 „ 

Tour bv Montanvers and the Ai- 
guilles to the Pierre de I'Echelle 15 „ 

Col du Geant, descending to Cour- 
mayeur 50 „ 

Flegere, or Plan Praz 6 „ 

Do. do., it' both are com- 

bined in one day . . . . 10 „ 

Brevent 8 „ 

Summit of the Buet, returning same 

day 15 n 

Do. do. returning next 

day 20 „ 

Do. do. descending to 

Sixt, and returning bv Col d'An- 
terne . . . * . . . 29 „ 

To Martigny by Tete Noire, or Col 
de Balme, returning the next 

dav 12 „ 

Ditto, if the traveller descend 

from the Col to the Tete Noire 15 „ 

Do. if the traveller visit thf* falls 
of Poyaz or Barberine, additional 
for each fall 1 >> 

To Col de Balme and Tete Noire^ 
returning same day to Chamouni 9 a 

To the Source de l'Arveiron, 
Glacier des Bossons, or Cascade 
du Dard 3 „ 

For each, if in addition to another 

excursion 1.50 ., 

To Sixt, by Col d'Anterne 9 „ 

Do. returning by same route, or 
bv Champ^ry and Martigny, per 

day 9 „ 

To Courmayeur by Contamines, in 

three days 18 „ 

Do. do. in two days 15 „ 

Ascent of the Cramont . 6 „ 

Courmayeur to Great St. Bernard, 
or to Orsieres .... 9 „ 



ROUTE A. — THE MONTANVERS. 



187 



Charge for guide's return from 
Martigny to Chamouni . . 6 francs 

The same daily charge is made for the guide's 
return when discharged at a distance from 
Chamouni. 

As a general rule, where the way is 
practicable for mules, the charge for 
each mule is the same as for a guide. 

The excursions made from Chamouni 
are very numerous, varying with the 
tastes and physical strength of visitors ; 
but they fall into two principal divisions, 
according as the object is to approach 
the great glaciers and peaks of the cen- 
tral range, or to seek a more general 
view from some point in the range of 
the Aiguilles Rouges on the N. side of 
the valley. 

The chief aim of the first class of 
excursions is the Mer de Glace. It 
has been said in the introduction, that 
the mass of Mont Blanc consists of two 
parallel ridges, of which the northern is 
broken by several wide gaps through 
which the snows accumulated in the 
valleys between the two ridges are 
drained through great glaciers that de- 
scend towards the valley of Chamouni. 
The Glacier des Bois, called in its 
middle region Mer de Glace, is the most 
important of these glaciers, from the 
extent of the area which it drains. 
Without speaking of minor tributaries, 
it receives the overflew of three great 
reservoirs. The most considerable of 
these is the Glacier du Geant,also called 
de Tacul, which descends on the E. side 
of the central mass of Mont Blanc be- 
tween a double range of Aiguilles. In 
the opposite direction, a reservoir lying 
between the Aiguille Verte and the 
Aiguille de Triolet pours down to the 
W. an ice-stream called Glacier de 
Talefre, and before reaching the rocks 
of the Tacul receives from the S. the 
Glacier de Lechaud. The central point 
where these three ice-streams meet op- 
posite to the Tacul bears the same rela- 
tion to the adjoining ridges as Entreves 
in the Allee Blanche. Here the drain- 
age of the whole basin is carried off to 
the N. in a broad channel, which hence- 
forward bears the name Mer de Glace, 



till about 4 m. lower down it falls over 
steep rocks in an ice-cataract, to the 
level of the valley, where it comes to an 
end, about 3 m. from the village of 
Chamouni. 

1. Source of the Arveiron. Those 
who have two or three hours to spare, 
especially if they have not previously 
seen the lower end of a great glacier, do 
well to visit the spot where the stream 
of the Arveiron, one of the sources of the 
Arve, issues from the extremity of the 
Glacier des Bois. This is about 3 m. 
from Chamouni, and is approached by a 
char-road, which passes by the hamlets 
des Praz and des Bois. Between them 
the remains of a great moraine, now 
overgrown with pine-trees, deserve ex- 
amination, and the Aiguille du Dru, 
seen towering above, is a magnificent 
object. As explained in the introduc- 
tion (Art. Glaciers) the form and posi- 
tion of the lower end of the glacier are 
subject to continual change. The 
stream usually issues from a cavern in 
the ice of variable depth, and from 30 
to 40 ft. in height, whose strange as- 
pect and exquisite colour often tempted 
strangers to penetrate some distance 
into it, and several fatal accidents have 
happened from the sudden fall of blocks 
of ice from the roof. Of late years, 
however, the stream has commonly 
escaped from beneath the ice at a con- 
siderable height above the end of the 
glacier, forming a waterfall visible from 
Chamouni. 

This excursion is often combined 
with that to the Montanvers or the 
Elegere. There is a little inh (Au 
Touriste) near the glacier. 

2. The Montanvers. The rocks near 
to the ice-cataract of the Glacier des 
Bois being very steep, the most con- 
venient way for reaching the middle 
region of the glacier is to mount from 
Chamouni by a good mule-path, wind- 
ing up the slope of the valley towards 
a promontory extending from the base 
of the Aiguille de Charmoz, which 
forms the W. barrier of the Mer de 
Glace. After crossing some meadows, 
the path ascends through a forest, and 



188 



PENNINE ALPS. § 16. 



MONT BLANC DISTRICT. 



if the visitor has no intention of going be- j 
yond the Pavilion, a guide is quite unne- 
cessary. The mules take 2^ hr<=. in the 
ascent — 2 hrs. more than suffice to a 
good walker. Above half way the 
tracks of avalanches, which have de- 
stroyed much of the forest, are fre- 
quently passed; but nervous persons 
may feel assured that there is no danger 
from that quarter in the tourist season. 
In approaching the summit the Aiguille 
du Dru becomes a more and more im- 
pressive object, but no other conspicuous 
peak is seen, until on reaching the 
summit of the rounded ridge of the 
Montanvers, and losing sight of the 
main valley below, the traveller sud- 
denly gains that wonderful view which 
has sufficed to attract and to reward 
thousands of visitors from every part 
of the world. No amount of fami- 
liarity, nor even the rivalry of scenes 
less accessible and not less grand, can 
much lessen the impression which this 
makes upon all true lovers of nature. 
The first object that attracts attention 
is the Mer de Glace, so often described 
in vain, for description gives no real 
image of the reality. Of the magnifi- 
cent group of aiguilles that rise on the 
opposite bank, that of Dru (12,500'), 
pre-eminent for boldness of form, 
almost conceals the much higher peak 
of the Aiguille Verte (13,432'), which 
lies behind it. To the rt. extends the 
shattered ridge whose most promi- 
nent point is the Aiguille du Moine 
(11,109'). At the end of the vista, at 
least twice as distant as the Moine, the 
eye reaches the Grandes Jorasses 
( 13.496'), one of the giants of the S. 
ridge of the Mont Blanc range, rising 
at the farther end of the S. branch of 
the Glacier de Lechaud. This glacier 
is bounded to the W. by a ridge pro- 
jecting towards the spectator, whose N. 
extremity is the Aiguille de Tacul, also 
called Les Periades (11,013'). To the 
rt. the summit of the Aiguille du Geant 
(13,099') is seen, and then the nearer 
mass of the Aiguille de Charmoz 
(10,951') cuts off the view in that 
direction. 



The house which is the ordinary 
rendezvous of tourists on the Mont- 
anvers is called the Pavilion ; it is 
rented by one of the Couttets, and con- 
tains a collection of minerals, cut 
crystals, and other objects, for sale. 
During the day it is often thronged 
with visitors, who seek rest and refresh- 
ment, but in the evening all subsides 
into quiet, and it then becomes a 
pleasant stopping-place for a moun- 
taineer who can be content with tole- 
rable fare and beds, four or five of which 
are kept to accommodate tourists who 
often sleep here before visiting the 
Jardin or crossing the Col du Geant. 
Most strangers descend from the 
Pavilion to the bank of the glacier, 
and go some short distance upon its 
surface. Unemployed guides are usu- 
ally on the spot ready to offer their 
services, and the tourist who has no 
previous acquaintance with glacier 
travelling, and who may have come 
from Chamouni without a guide, will 
do wisely to accept the escort. The 
traveller who has followed the progress 
of the Glacier Theory during the last 
25 years, will recollect that he here 
stands upon classic ground, and that 
much of our present knowledge of the 
laws and causes of glacier motion 
is due to the observations made on the 
Mer de Glace by our eminent country- 
men, Principal Forbes and Professor 
Tyndall. After visiting the Mont- 
anvers, and setting foot upon the Mer 
de Glace, the less strong or adventurous 
tourists return to Chamouni, and some 
descend by a steep path, where a guide 
is expedient, to the source of the Arvei- 
ron, while those who can do so without 
over-fatigue wisely decide to combine 
this with the following excursion, by 
crossing the Mer de Glace opposite 
the Pavilion. In the latter part of the 
season, when the crevasses are much 
enlarged, this is sometimes rather 
difficult. None but persons thoroughly 
used to ice-travelling should attempt 
to go alone, and as a general rule 
a guide should be taken for each tra- 
veller. Those engaged at the Mont- 



ROUTE A. THE JARDIN. 



189 



anvers are entitled to 2fr. for crossing 
the glacier, and 4fr. if they descend 
to the Chapeau. 

3. The Chapeau. The steepness of 
the rocks on the W., or Montanvers 
side, makes it impossible to approach 
near to the ice cascade of the Glacier 
des Bois. The opposite bank of the 
glacier, although steep, is traversed 
by a path which leads up to the very 
"base of the Aiguille du Dru, and 
it is thus possible to approach close 
to the towers and pinnacles of ice 
formed by the action of the sun 
where the glacier is riven into deep 
and frequent crevasses. To complete 
the impression of a glacier gained 
by a visit to the Mer de Glace, it 
is necessary to see near at hand its 
utterly different aspect in the wild 
confusion of the ice-fall. To reach 
the Chapeau from Chamouni it is ne- 
cessary to follow for 1 hr. the char- 
road to Argentiere, till, beyond the 
village of Tines, a mule-path turns up 
to the rt., passes the hamlet of La- 
vanchy, and approaches the rt. bank of 
the glacier. The mules are left before 
a short and steep ascent, leading in 
about 1 hr. more to a cavern or recess in 
the face of the rocks, perhaps a finer 
point of view than the Chapeau, which 
is, properly speaking, the name of a 
grassy knoll above the cavern. This 
point is considerably lower than the 
Montanvers, and the view of the Mer 
de Glace is not nearly so complete, 
though the Aiguilles de Charmoz, de 
Greppond, and de Blaitiere, seen on 
the opposite side of the glacier, and 
backed by the still mightier central 
mass of Mont Blanc, form the mate- 
rials of a grand picture. The special 
object of attraction is, however, the 
ice-fall of the glacier, which lies im- 
mediately below the eye, and the effect 
of the fantastic forms assumed by the 
ice is often increased in a startling 
manner by the fall of some huge mass, 
weighing many tons. The path lead- 
ing from the Chapeau to the base of 
the Aiguille du Dru passes by a rough 
staircase along a face of rock, and 



formerly deserved the name Mauvais 
Pas. But it has been so much im- 
proved, and made easy by a rope 
stretched so as to serve as a bannister, 
that ladies pass without difficulty. 
About If hr. above the Chapeau the 
traveller reaches the point from 
whence he may cross the glacier 
to the Montanvers. It is a better 
arrangement to visit the Montanvers 
first, and then cross to the Chapeau, 
so as to descend, instead of ascend- 
ing, by the steep path on the E. 
bank of the glacier. This path, espe- 
cially the staircase of the Mauvais Pas, 
is not practicable for cattle, and it is 
therefore necessary to drive the cows 
that are annually sent to feed on the 
Alpine pasture at the base of the 
Aiguille du Dru across the Mer de 
Glace. This is a curious operation, 
and well worth seeing. A large num- 
ber of men, boys, and girls are em- 
ployed, carrying axes to level the ice, 
planks to bridge over crevasses, and 
ropes to keep the cattle from slip- 
ping. 

4. The Jardin. It has been already 
said, that the easternmost of the three 
glacier streams which form the Mer de 
Glace is the Glacier de Talefre, ori- 
ginating in a great reservoir of neve 
between the Aiguille Verte and the 
Aiguille de Triolet. In the midst of the 
neve-basin rises a mass of rock, clear 
of snow in fine weather, nearly a mile 
in length by 300 or 400 yards in 
breadth, whereon grow many species of 
flowering plants. This spot received, 
in the local patois, the name Courtil, 
which has been supplanted by the 
French equivalent Jardin. Those 
familiar with the higher region of the 
Alps know that there is nothing un- 
usual in the existence of an island of 
rock in the midst of fields of neve, nor 
in the presence of Alpine flowers on 
such islands, even above the height of 
10,000 ft.; but apart from any fancied 
interest attaching to a garden in the 
midst of eternal snows, the position of 
the Jardin fully justifies the reputation 
it has acquired as one of the most 



190 



PENNINE ALPS. § 16. 



MONT BLANC DISTRICT. 



interesting spots within reach of Cha- 
mouni. The distance being rather 
considerable, and the objects of interest 
very numerous, it is a good plan, even 
for those who do not fear fatigue, to 
sleep at the Pavilion on the Mont- 
anvers, thus leaving time to take the 
expedition leisurely, and to explore 
some of the upper recesses of the Mer 
de Glace. Starting from the Mont- 
anvers, the excursion is quite within 
the range of many ladies, and as in 
fine weather it is unaccompanied by the 
slightest risk, it may safely be recom- 
mended to them as one of the most in- 
teresting of easily practicable glacier 
excursions. An active pedestrian may 
make the whole expedition from Cha- 
mouni in 10J or 11 hrs., exclusive of 
halts. Those not already well ac- 
quainted with the glacier should on no 
account attempt to go without a guide, 
and one should be engaged for each 
lady or other visitor unused to glacier- 
travelling. 

Although it is possible to approach 
the Jardin by the Chapeau, and 
thence along the E. bank of the gla- 
cier, in part by the moraine, and in 
part over the ice, to the Couvercle, 
that way is very rarely taken, the 
almost universal route being by the 
Montanvers. From thence a path is 
carried along the slope above the 
glacier, and the first so -called diffi- 
culty, which can be so only to the 
veriest beginners in mountain walking, 
is at a place called Les Ponts, where the 
path is carried along the face of steep 
rocks. It was formerly usual to descend 
to the moraine a short distance beyond 
Les Ponts, but a better way is now fol- 
lowed, which keeps for about 1^ hr. 
along the rocky base of the Aiguille de 
Charmoz to Trelaporte^ where it is 
usually possible to get upon the ice 
with less difficulty than lower down. 
It should, however, be remembered that 
the condition of the glacier and the 
form and width of the crevasses are 
subject to continual variation, which is 
most rapid in fine weather ; and it is 
necessary to rely on the knowledge and 



experience of the guides, who by con- 
stant practice are able to follow the 
changing phases of the ice. 

Above Trelaporte is a remarkable 
point of view from a notch in the face 
of the Aiguille de Charmoz, which is 
known as the Cleft Station. The 
ascent is decidedly difficult, and should 
be attempted only by practised crags- 
men, and with a trusty guide. Readers 
of Professor Forbes's 4 Travels ' will 
not forget the extraordinary escape of 
an American tourist who attempted 
alone to climb these dangerous slopes. 

From Trelaporte it is necessary to 
traverse the glacier diagonally below 
the junction of the Glacier de Lechaud 
with the Glacier du Geant. In the 
way the traveller crosses four medial 
moraines, corresponding to as many 
points of junction between the separate 
ice-streams that make up the Mer de 
Glace, and by a slight detour, either in 
going or returning, he may inspect one 
of the Moulins, which are amongst the 
most curious of glacier phenomena. 
(See Introduction, Art. Glaciers.) 

As the traveller approaches the 
Glacier de Lechaud, he finds, on turn- 
ing round, that he has reached a point 
opposite the ice-fall of the Glacier du 
Geant, descending f rom the great central 
valley of the Mont Blanc range. The 
highest peak of the mountain, and the 
adjoining mass of the Mont Blanc de 
Tacul, remain almost constantly in 
view during the remainder of the ex- 
cursion. Advancing along the Glacier 
de Lechaud, it is soon seen that this is 
formed by the union of one branch, 
from the N. base of the Grandes Jo- 
rasses and the adjoining peaks, with the 
Glacier de Talefre, issuing from a 
narrow opening to the E., and form- 
ing one of the finest ice cataracts in 
the Alps before it reaches the level of 
the main Glacier de Lechaud. To 
gain the upper level of the Glacier 
de Talefre, which is the object of this 
excursion, it is necessary to climb the 
rocks of the Couvercle on the N. side of 
the Glacier de Lechaud, at the base of 
the Aiguille de Talefre. The spot 



ROUTE A AIGUILLES DE CHAMOUNI. 



191 



where it is usual to scramble up the 
face of the granite rock, is called Les 
Egralets, and although steep, presents 
no real difficulty, as there is good hold- 
ing for feet and hands. After this the 
way becomes much easier, the path lies 
in part over slopes of turf covered 
with Alpine flowers, and in part amid 
blocks of stone and debris. It is usual 
to make a halt here at a spot where the 
view is as striking as that from the 
Jardin, before crossing the arm of the 
glacier, which separates the rock from 
the shore. 

The ideas excited by the name 
Jardin may at first cause some disap- 
pointment. It is, in fact, a steep rock, 
and in great part bare, though here and 
there Alpine flowers bloom luxuriantly 
during the short summer, often not 
more than six weeks, when the sur- 
face is clear of snow, the lower part 
being 9,042 ft., and the summit 
9,893 ft. above the sea. What is 
really impressive here is the position 
of this patch of rock in the midst of a 
world that has so little in common with 
ordinary experience. The mountaineer 
who is used to roam in the upper region 
of the Alps, may often find himself in 
some similar solitude, entirely cut off 
from the lower inhabited world, where 
nothing but ice, snow, and rocks meet 
the eye ; but rarely can he see this 
strange region on so great a scale, and 
so completely isolated as here. The 
distance in a direct line to the sum- 
mit of Mont Blanc is about 9 m., and 
throughout that distance, and on either 
side, there is no spot that exhibits traces 
of life, animal or vegetable. The 
tokens of destruction, the fall of rocks 
or of blocks of ice, or the gentler 
murmur of the rivulets that flow from 
the melting snow, and by their un- 
ceasing energy complete the process 
of decay, are the only witnesses to 
the presence of living force in this wil- 
derness. The ridge NE. of the Jardin, 
extending from the Aiguille Verte to 
the Aiguille de Triolet, one of the 
massive beams in the architecture of 
the Mont Blanc range, is called Les 



Courtes, and its formidably steep slopes 
are often sought by crystal hunters. 

In returning from the Jardin, if the 
day be not too far advanced, there is 
time to visit the Lac du TacuL This 
lies at the base of the Aiguille da 
Tacul, and is formed during summer 
by the snow-water accumulated in the 
space enclosed between the rock and 
the glacier. This central point of the 
glacier system has been resorted to for 
a night bivouac by Forbes, Tvndall, 
and other explorers, and an interesting 
account of a night passed there is given 
in Mr. Wills's * Wanderings among the 
High Alps.' 

5. Les Aiguilles de Chamouni. Five 
summits, all visible from Chamouni, 
overlook the middle portion of the val- 
ley, and separate it from the parallel 
snow-valley of the Glacier du Geant. 
Reckoning from E. to W., these are the 
Aiguille de Charmoz (10,951'), A. de 
Greppond (12,044'), A. de Blaitiere 
(12,097'), A. du Plan (11,689'), and, 
lastly, the Aiguille du Midi (12,822'). 
Several small glaciers descend in the 
hollows at the N. base of this range, 
besides one more considerable, the Gla- 
cier des Pelerins, An excursion now 
frequently made is to pass along the 
base of the Aiguilles, either traversing 
the glaciers, or passing below them, and 
descending by the Glacier des Pelerins, 
and along a new path which has been 
made to facilitate the excursion. To a 
mountaineer this is an easy and very 
interesting expedition, and it is not too 
much for some enterprising ladies, who 
may ride a portion of the way. It may 
very conveniently be made from the 
Montanvers, and is often combined as 
a second day's walk after that of the 
Jardin by those who pass the night at 
the Pavilion. A guide is necessary. 
Immediately above the village of Cha- 
mouni, and just on a level with the 
Montanvers, are the Chalets of Blai- 
tiere Dessus, which may be reached by 
mule-path in if hr. from Chamouni, or 
in about 1 hr. from the Montanvers. 
Thence the mule path is carried for 
about £ hr. past the lower end of the 



192 



PEXXIXE ALPS. § 16. 



MONT BLAXC DISTRICT. 



Glacier de Nantillon, to the Lac Du 
Plan. From the lake it is not difficult 
to reach the very base of the Aiguille 
du Plan, and even to ascend some way 
up the steep rocks. Mr. Wills recom- 
mends those who make this excursion 
from the Montanvers to traverse the 
glaciers of Blaitiere and Nantillon in 
preference to passing below them, the 
latter way involving some risk from 
blocks of stone that fall during the 
heat of the day. The views through- 
out this excursion are varied and 
grand. Some travellers, instead of de- 
scending direct to Chamouni, lengthen 
the excursion by reaching the Pierre de 
l'Echelle at the NW. base of the Aiguille 
du Midi. (See Rte. G.) 

6. The Glacier des Bossons and Cas- 
cade du Dard. The Glacier des Bossons, 
which descends directly in one stream, 
without medial moraines, from the upper 
part of Mont Blanc to the valley of 
Chamouni, does not drain nearly so 
extensive an area as the Mer de Glace, 
neither does it exhibit so fully the vari- 
ous aspects of glacier existence. It is 
necessarily traversed by those who go 
from Chamouni to the Grands Mulets, 
and its lower extremity where it reaches 
the level of the valley is often made the 
object of a short excursion from the 
village, and, taken together with the 
pretty Cascade du Dard, suffices for a 
pleasant afternoon's stroll. Both may, 
by a slight detour, be taken by a pedes- 
trian in his way through the valley be- 
tween the Prieure and Les Ouches. 
The end of the Glacier des Bossons 
reaches the valley about 4 m. below 
Chamouni, and may be reached by the 
road or by a path along the S. side of 
the Arve. The ice is broken up into 
pinnacles of great beauty — often more 
than 150 ft. in height, which may be 
approached very nearly. They are best 
seen on the W. side of the glacier, and 
instead of returning by the same way, 
it is easy to cross the glacier in a place 
where it is free from crevasses. 

It is a walk of but 15 min. from the 
E. bank of the glacier to the hamlet des 
Pelerins, a short distance below the 



Cascade des Pelerins, formerly much 
visited as one of the most beautiful and 
graceful of waterfalls. The torrent, 
descending in a single bound, struck a 
projecting mass of rock, and sprung out 
anew with fresh vigour in the fashion 
which is imitated on a 'petty scale by 
some artificial fountains. The fall of 
some mass from above broke the pro- 
jecting rock, and spoiled the waterfall. 
Within a few hundred yards, and nearer 
to Chamouni, is the Cascade du Dard, 
very picturesque, and better worth see- 
ing than the Pelerins in its present con- 
dition. Near at hand is a chalet, where 
bread and butter, strawberries and 
cream, cheese and wine, with crystals 
and scraps of minerals, are kept on sale 
to tempt visitors. Anyone used to 
mountain walking may find the way 
back to Chamouni, but it is possible 
to go astray. 

The excursion to the Grands Mulets 
is described in Rte. P., and the Glaciers 
du Tour and d'Argentiere are noticed 
in Rtes. L. and M. The Col de Balme 
and the Col de Voza, both well worth a 
visit, even by those who may have no 
occasion to traverse them, will be found 
in Rtes. B. and H. 

We now notice the two excursions 
most frequently made on the side of the 
valley of Chamouni opposite to the range 
of Mont Blanc. 

7. The Flegere. This is a very easy 
excursion, involving an ascent of 2^ hrs. 
by a good mule-path, and a descent 
which is easily accomplished in 2 hrs. 
It is very often made by ladies. A guide 
is not necessary to a pedestrian. Near 
the hamlet of Les Praz, and just oppo- 
site to the lower end of the Glacier des 
Bois, the path turns to the 1. from the 
char-road at the base of the Aiguille de 
Charlanoz, one of the Aiguilles Rouges. 
The ascent lies at first through a ravine, 
and then amidst pine forest to an open 
pasture called Praz Viola. Prom thence 
1 hr., for the most part through a forest 
composed of pine and larch, suffices to 
reach the Croix de Flegere (6,260'), com- 
manding a general view of the Mont 
Blanc range, and the whole length of the 



ROUTE A. THE BR EVENT. 



193 



valley from the Col de Balme to the Col 
de Yoza. Being exactly opposite to the 
Mer de Glace, the cluster ot' pinnacles 
whose highest summit is the Aiguille 
Yerte is seen to greater perfection than 
from any other easily accessible spot near 
Chamouni. Close to the Flegere is a 
chalet where refreshments are kept ready 
for visitors, and where one or two beds 
may be obtained by travellers desiring 
to explore the range of the Aiguilles 
Rouges. From hence the Aiguille de la 
Gliere, one of the summits of that range, 
may be reached in 4 (?) hrs. The 
height is about 8,800 ft., and the view 
is said to be more extensive than that 
from the Brevent, but it is not so well 
placed for a view of the central mass of 
Mont Blanc. It is quite possible to com- 
bine a visit to the Flegere with the 
ascent of the Brevent, but unless a pro- 
posed new mule-path should be com- 
pleted, this is not much to be recom- 
mended. The path was extremely rough 
and laborious, and scarcely to be found 
without a guide — the distance about 3 
hrs. 

8. The Brevent The SW. end of the 
range of the Aiguilles Rouges is formed 
by the ridge of the Brevent. The 
summit, standing just opposite to the 
Glacier des Bossons offers the very 
finest view of the N. side of Mont 
Blanc, and in favourable weather is one 
of the most interesting, some think the 
most interesting, excursion to be made 
from Chamouni. To those not well 
used to mountain walking, it is a some- 
what laborious day's work of 8 hrs., 
exclusive of halts, but it is nevertheless 
often achieved by ladies, who may ride 
for two-thirds of the way. None but 
practised mountaineers should go with- 
out a guide. Although rounded at the 
top, and sloping gently to the N. and 
NW-, the side of the Brevent facing 
Chamouni is a precipice almost com- 
pletely vertical, and the most direct way 
to reach the summit is by the ridge to 
the E. of the summit. The ascent com- 
mences immediately from the Prieure. 
The mule-path, after traversing some 
open fields and pastures, mounts the 



steep slope of the mountain by zig- 
zags, in part through forest, at inter- 
vals over open spaces that have been 
cleared by avalanches and landslips. 
After reaching the upper limit of trees, 
the path leads to a gently sloping green 
pasture, called Planpraz, where stands 
a little mountain inn at which many 
halt for refreshment, and where it is 
necessary to leave the mules. This 
spot, 6,959 ft. in height, commands a 
magnificent view, superior to that from 
the Flegere, and not much inferior to 
that gained from the summit, and is 
well worth a visit by those who are 
unable to go farther. Mules take about 
3 hrs. to reach Planpraz, but a pedes- 
trian, following a more direct path which 
lies in great part over slopes of debris, 
or cutting off some of the zigzags of the 
mule-track, may make the ascent in 1\ 
hrs., or even less. From Planpraz a 
rocky path passes round a projecting 
ridge of the mountain and enters a 
stony hollow, leading in about 1 hr. to 
the base of a very steep wall of rock, 
traversed by a fissure or chimney about 
50 ft. in height, which must be climbed 
to reach the upper ridge of the moun- 
tain. Though the rock gives good hold 
for feet and hands, this is too steep to be 
convenient to ladies, and they usually 
avoid the difficulty by a circuitous path, 
longer by 15 or 20 min., which joins the 
other near the top of the Cheminee. 
From the nce a gentle ascent of less than 
\ hr. leads to the summit, 8,330 ft. above 
the sea. 

Amongst the numerous objects that 
attract attention, the peak of Mont Blanc 
is prominent. Those who have read with 
eager interest the narratives of the as- 
cent are anxious to follow, as they here 
can do, the whole course of^the ordinary 
route from the Pierre de l'Echelle to the 
summit, and they can at the same time 
study the upper part of the so-called St. 
Gervais route from the Aiguille du Goute 
to the top. After satiating the eye with 
the contemplation of. the snowy range 
opposite, the traveller should not omit 
to examine the remainder of the pano- 
rama. The most prominent object to 



194 



PENNINE ALPS. § 16. 



MONT BLANC DISTRICT. 



the N. is the Buet, a flattened glacier- 
clad pyramid ; more to the 1., looking 
across the deep gorge of the Dioza, is 
the Col d'Anterne, leading to Sixt, fol- 
lowed by the range of the Rochers des 
3Tys, crowned by the Pointe de Salles 
(10,333'), the whole mass appearing — as 
it is in truth — a gigantic ruin, on which 
the short period of human history has 
worked notable change in undermining 
many of its highest towers and battle- 
ments. To the SW., above the moun- 
tains of Beaufort, one of the peaks of 
the Pelvoux group is seen in the far 
distance, and comparatively near at hand 
the Mont Joli, a rival of the Brevent 
(§ 12, Bxe. A), rises beyond the Col de 
Voza. 

A variety of routes may be taken to 
or from the Brevent. Those who in- 
tend ascending the Buet may go to the 
Chalet de Vifiy, about 3 J hrs., where 
they may pass the night. If the day be 
not too far advanced, an active walker 
may reach Sixt by the Col d'Anterne 
(§ 17, Kte. C) in 8h hrs. An easier 
course is to descend to Servoz by the 
gorge of the Pioza, 3 hrs.' walk, and 
thence either return to Chamouni, or 
follow the road to Sallanches. A cir- 
cuitous but interesting way, often taken 
in returning from the summit, passes 
by the Lac du Brevent, and winds round 
the western slopes of the mountain till 
it reaches the high-road at Les Ouches, 
in 4 hrs. from the summit. For all the 
above-mentioned routes, but especially 
to find the way from the Brevent to the 
Col d'Anterne, it is expedient to take a 
guide. In the writer's opinion, it is a 
better arrangement to gain the summit 
of the Brevent (if possible, early in the 
day) by any of the above routes, and to 
descend to Chamouni, following the 
ordinary path by Planpraz. The tra- 
veller thus has the view of Mont Blanc 
before him throughout the descent, and 
avoids the heat of the sun, which is 
often inconvenient in the direct ascent 
from Chamouni. Thus a pedestrian 
approaching from Geneva may sleep at 
Servoz, and take the Brevent on his way 
to Chamouni, or, better still, if starting 



from Sixt, and favoured by fine weather, 
he may reach the Brevent by the Col 
d'Anterne, 9^ hrs. — exclusive of halts — 
enjoy the marvellous evening view of 
Mont Blanc lit up by the sun in the 
western sky; and if he should have the 
further good fortune to conclude the 
descent by moonlight, when the valley 
of Chamouni is seen to its utmost per- 
fection, he will have enjoyed a day 
which cannot easily be surpassed for 
grandeur and variety. 

The ascent of the Buet, though it 
may count as one of the excursions to 
be made from Chamouni, is included in 
§ 17, Rte. D. 

In the neighbourhood of Chamouni the 
botanist may gather most of the charac- 
teristic species of the Alpine region that 
growonthe detritus of granitic rocks, but 
the flora is much less rich than in the 
valleys of Monte Rosa, where the rocks 
vary more in mineral composition. The 
Brevent offers rather more variety than 
the slopes surrounding the glaciers of 
Mont Blanc. To the geologist the val- 
ley of the Dioza is interesting from the 
fossil remains which abound on its N. 
slopes. The anthracite deposits of Cou- 
peau, about 40 min. above Les Ouches, 
also deserve a visit. 



Route B. 



CHAMOUNI TO COURMAYEUR, BY THE 
COL DU BONHOMME. 



Hrs' 


walking 
li 


Eng. miles 

5 


Les Ouches . 


Col de Voza . 


2 


5 


Contamines . 


3 


8 


Nant Bourrant 


1 4 


H 


Col du Bonhomme 


3^ 


8* 


Chapiu . 


If 


44- 


Motet .. 


2 


5 


Col de la Seigjae . 


If 


3f 


Courmayeur . 


4| 


12 






56 


Practicable for mules, and frequently 



made by ladies, who usually sleep at 
Contamines and Chapiu, making the 
journey in 3 days- Active pedestrians 
who sleep at Nant Bourrant usually 



ROUTE B. VAL DE MONTJOIE. 



195 



take the rte. by the Col des Fours to 
Motet, 1 hr. shorter than the way by 
Chapiu, and reach Courmayeur in 11 
hrs.' steady walking, exclusive of halts. 

This route forms the most frequented 
portion of the tour of Mont Blanc, an 
expedition often made by visitors to 
Chamouni. Adventurous mountaineers 
now-a-days often prefer one or other of the 
glacier passes described in this section ; 
but the view from the Col de la Seigne, 
and the descent from thence through the 
Allee Blanche, will always make that 
part of the present route attractive to the 
true lover of nature. Except, in the 
most settled weather it is imprudent, 
even in an experienced mountaineer, to 
go without a guide. In the event of 
clouds descending upon the Bonhomme, 
it is almost impossible for anyone not 
possessing minute local knowledge to 
find the true way ; and even in clear 
weather it is easy to go astray. It is 
far better to make the rte. in the direc- 
tion here indicated rather than in the 
opposite sense, from Courmayeur to 
Chamouni. 

From Les Ouches, on the road to 
Sallanches, 5 m. below the Prieure, a 
rough mule-path mounts rather steeply 
to the SW., and, after passing several 
chalets, attains the summit of the Col de 
Voza (5,938'), a depression in the ridge 
which extends from the base of the 
Aiguille du Goute, between the valley 
of Chamouni and that of Montjoie. 
Nearly 2^ hrs. are required for the 
ascent, while 1^- hr. suffices to descend 
to Les Ouches. The Col lies between 
the Mont Lachat to the SE., and the 
Prarion (6,857') to the N. If time can 
be spared, it is worth while to make a 
detour to the latter point, which com- 
mands a still liner view. A small inn — 
Pavilion de Belle vue— has been built on 
the slope of the Mont Lachat. in a fold 
of the ridge parallel to, but consider- 
ably higher than, the Col de Voza. 
The height of the inn, according to 
Joanne, is 6,933 ft. It supplies food 
and tolerable beds, but the charges are 
extortionate, and it is advisable to 
fix prices beforehand. The view of 

o 



the valley of Chamouni and the Mont 
Blanc range is a counterpart to that 
from the Col de Balme (Rte. H), but 
not quite so favourable, as the Dome 
du Goute conceals the highest part 
of the mountain. The descent to- 
wards the Val de Montjoie lies along 
the steep ridge of the Mont Lachat, 
which forms the N. boundary of the 
fine Glacier of Bionn assay. In front the 
view is bounded by the Mont Joli, with 
the church of St. Nicolas de Yeroce at 
its base, and to the 1. the ridge extend- 
ing from the Aiguille de Bionnassay to 
the Aiguille de Tricot on the opposite 
side of the glacier is the most conspi- 
cuous object in view. The mule-path 
descends by Bionnassay^ and thence 
along the rt. bank of the torrent to 
Bionnay, in the Val de Montjoie, if hr. 
from the Col de Voza, where it joins the 
main track from St. Gervais to the Col 
du Bonhomme. The way from Sal- 
lanches to Bionnay is described in Rte. 
C. It is an easy walk of 1^ hr. from 
Bionnay to Contamines (Inns: Union, 
good; H. du Bonhomme), the best stop- 
ping-place on this rte., but too near 
Chamouni for those who wish to make 
it in two days. A pedestrian may save 
\ hr. by taking a path to the 1. in de- 
scending from the Col de Voza a little be- 
fore reaching Bionnassay, and crossing 
the torrent by a wooden bridge a little 
below the spot where it issues from the 
glacier. From thence a path lies chiefly 
across meadows to Champel, and joins 
the main track to Contamines at the 
hamlet of Tresse. By this way Conta- 
mines is reached in 2j hrs. from the 
Pavilion de Bellevue. Contamines 
(3,865') lies at the W. base of the Mont 
Joli (§ 12, Rte. A), which may be 
reached from hence, and will be more 
often visited when it is known to be a 
worthy rival of the Brevent and the 
Cramont. In the opposite direction the 
Glacier d'Armencettes, lying in a grand 
amphitheatre crowned by the Aiguille 
de Miage and the Aiguille de Berenger, 
has been somewhat neglected by the 
explorers of this district. For the way 
to Courmayeur by the Col de Trelatete, 
2 



19G 



PENNINE ALPS. § 16. 



MONT BLANC DISTRICT. 



a course strongly recommended to 
mountaineers, see Rte. D. 

Half a m. beyond Contamines a path 
descends to the rt., to the Sanctuary of 
Notre Dame de la Gorge, frequented in 
August by many pilgrims ; while the 
main track keeps to the rt. bank of the 
Bonnant,or Bon Nant, and after mount- 
ing a steep and rough slope of the 
valley, crosses the torrent by a stone 
bridge, and, traversing an Alpine pas- 
ture, reaches the chalets of Nant Bour- 
rant (4,560'). There is here a little 
mountain inn, not uncomfortable, but 
there have been complaints of extortion. 
It is the common halting-place for those 
who make the journey in two days. 
There is a fine fall of the Bonnant be- 
low the bridge which is crossed to reach 
the chalets, and a still finer one rather 
higher on the branch of that stream 
coming from the glacier of Trelatete, 
which is in sight of the chalets. (See 
Rte. D.) 

Above Nant Bourrant the path to the 
Col du Bonhomme traverses a wood 
before reaching the hamlet of La 
Barmaz, where a tired traveller may 
find a bed for the night. From hence a 
path mounts W. to the Enclave de la 
Fenetre, a path which leads to St. 
Maxim e de Beaufort by the valley of 
Haute Luce (§12, Rte. E). Here the 
massive tower of rock called the Tete du 
Bonhomme (10,13s 7 ) comes into view, 
and to the 1. the similar but rather 
lower summit called La Ferame du Bon- 
homme (9,908'). The track now mounts 
through a narrow strait in the valley, 
and then, passing some vast moraines of 
ancient glaciers, ascends amidst debris 
to an open space where, near a little 
lake (5,892'), stand the chalets of Mont 
JoveU hr. from Nant Bourrant. 
Bread, milk, wine, and two or three 
beds may be had here, and some 
prefer this as a stopping-place on 
the way to Courmayeur, but the pro- 
vision for travellers is scanty. Hav- 
ing now passed beyond the region 
of tree vegetation, the valley assumes a 
wilder and sterner aspect. A short but 
steep ascent leads to another step in 



the valley, a plateau called Plan des 
Dames (6,523'), where a large pile of 
stones marks a spot consecrated by a 
vague popular tradition that tells of a 
great lady and her suite who all perished 
here in a snow-storm. Another ascent, 
longer than the last, leads in about 4 
min. to what appears to be the desired 
col; but on reaching the summit, which 
lies between the Tete du Bonhomme 
and the Aiguille de Rousselette (9,843'), 
it is seen that the pass which does in 
truth lie between those summits turns 
sharply to the W., and descends through 
the Vallon de la Gitta to St. Maxime de 
Beaufort (§ 12, Rte. F). It is still a 
distance of 1 hr. across barren stony 
slopes, usually flecked with patches of 
snow, to the true pass. This portion of 
the rte. is much exposed to storms, and 
except in the most settled weather it is 
highly imprudent to pass without a 
guide. The fate of two Englishmen 
who perished here in a snow-storm in 
September 1830, is still quoted as a 
warning to travellers. 

The Col du Bonhomme (8,195', 
Forbes), marked by a large cross, 
is the watershed between the basin of 
the Arve and that of the Isere. The 
view is not so extensive as might be 
expected, but the fine peak of the 
Mont Pourri and some more distant 
summits at the head of the valley of 
the Isere compensate the traveller for 
the absence of the Mont Blanc range, 
shut out by the heights to the 1. of the 
Col. To pass from the Col du Bon- 
homme to the Allee Blanche is not so 
short and easy an operation as it 
appears to be upon the map. The 
gorge which lies at the S. side descends 
by Bonneval to Bourg St. Maurice 
(§ 12, Rte. F), but rather more than 
3,000 ft. below the Col, at the poor 
hamlet of Chapiu, it is joined at an 
acute angle by the stream which flows 
to the Isere from the W. side of the 
Col de la Seigne. The mule-track 
descends to Chapiu (4,974'), where 
there are two poor inns — H. du So- 
leil, improved ; and Repos des Voya- 
geurs — and then reascends to Motet 



ROUTE B. ALL EE BLANCHE. 



197 



(6,004/) through a barren and dreary 
glen, the least interesting part of the 
entire route. The pedestrian may 
choose between this and a shorter but 
rather steeper and rougher way over 
the ridge that separates the two torrents 
which meet at Chapiu. The most direct 
way lies to the S. of the Cime des 
Fours (12,615') by the Col des Fours, 
(8,892'), reached by a path mount- 
ing to the 1. from the Col du Bon- 
homme. The descent thence to Motet is 
rather steep and fatiguing, but in fine 
weather it is much to be preferred, 
being shorter by 1 hr. than the mule- 
path by Chapiu. There is a little-used 
path intermediate between the two 
already mentioned, which crosses the 
ridge at a point lower than the Col des 
Fours, and joins the track from Chapiu 
at a group of chalets called Hameau du 
Glacier, | hr. below Motet, where all 
these paths converge. There are two 
chalets, or rather mountain inns, at 
Motet, tolerably clean, but provisions 
are more scanty than at Chapiu. 

Ascending steadily for 1^ hr. from 
Motet, the traveller reaches the summit 
of the Col de la Seigne (8,301'), and 
here the fatiguing and not very inte- 
resting way that has been toiled over 
for the preceding 5 or 6 hrs. is rewarded 
by a view of extraordinary grandeur 
along the S. side of the range of Mont 
Blanc. The Piedmontese counterpart 
of the valley of Chamouni is undoubtedly 
more imposing and more impressive 
than its Savoyard rival. It has been 
remarked in the introduction to this 
section, that the Mont Blanc range 
consists, in fact, of a double ridge of 
peaks, of which the S. ridge is by far 
the most continuous, and includes 
besides the actual summit most of the 
highest secondary peaks. The colossal 
range which extends for 18 m. from the 
Col de la Seigne has been traversed 
only at two points, even by those 
adventurous explorers who have pushed 
their attempts to devise new ascents 
and passes to the verge of temerity, and 
but one of these points — the Col de 
Miage (Rte. E)— can be considered as 



a break in the continuity of the ridge. 
To the left of the spectator three peaks 
follow each other in rapid succession. 
Nearest is the Aiguille du Glacier 
(12,011'), then the Aiguille de VAllee 
Blanche, and beyond it the Aiguille 
de Trelatete (13,845'?). The latter is 
followed by the wide opening through 
which the Glacier de Miage descends 
into the valley, and then the eye rests 
on the central mass of Mont Blanc, 
here seen as a dome of snow sustained 
by three enormous buttresses of rock. 
The nearest and loftiest of these is the 
Mont Bioglia, beyond this is the Mont 
Rouge, and the third is the Mont Peteret, 
a granite pinnacle of the boldest form, 
somewhat more detached than the 
others from the main mass, and which 
remains prominent as one of the most 
striking objects in view throughout the 
descent to Courmayeur. Among the 
more distant summits of the range the 
Aiguille du Geant and the Grandes 
Jorasses are prominent. At the end of 
the long vista is the Col de Ferrex, and 
beyond it rise the snowy peaks of the 
Velan and the Grand Combin. To the 
rt. the ranges of the Cramont and the 
Mont de la Saxe, broken by the gap 
through which the Dora escapes towards 
the SE., run parallel to the great range of 
Mont Blanc, The valley between these 
ranges, whose whole length now extends 
beneath the traveller's feet, is properly 
called La Lex Blanche ; but it seems 
now impossible to change the received 
spelling adopted by modern writers in 
ignorance of the true etymology, and 
the name Allee Blanche is applied to 
the whole, although the portion which 
descends from the Col de Ferrex to 
Entreves is also known by the name 
Val Ferrex, as well as that which from 
the opposite side of the Col descends 
to Orsieres. 

In descending from the Col de la 
Seigne several rare plants may be 
gathered, and amongst others Ranun- 
culus parnassij'olius. Lower down 
Hugueninia tanacetifolia and Achillea 
macrophylla are rather common.. About 
1 hr. below the Col are the highest 



198 



PENNINE ALPS. § 16. 



MONT BLANC DISTRICT. 



chalets (6,595'), where milk may be 
obtained. Having left behind on the 
1. the Glacier de lEstelette, the more 
considerable Glacier de V Alice Blanche 
now comes into view. Another hr. 
or less leads down to the level of the 
Lac de Combal (5,774'), which receives 
the torrents from both the above- 
named glaciers. This lake is retained 
by a massive embankment of great 
antiquity, with sluices which regulate 
the outflow of the stream, the principal 
source of the Dora Baltea. A path 
turning to the rt. above the lake 
leads to Courmayeur, by the Col de 
Checruit, but nothing is gained by 
taking that way, which is on the whole 
less interesting than the regular track, 
though it is recommended to those who 
make an excursion from Courmayeur 
to the lake. Below the embankment 
above-mentioned the mule-track crosses 
to the 1. bank of the Dora, and con- 
tinues for nearly 1 hr. between the 
stream and the enormous moraine 
which conceals from view the Glacier de 
Miage. This great glacier occupies 
for a considerable distance nearly the 
entire breadth of the valley, and it is 
only when the path enters upon the 
pastures near the Chalet de la Visaille, 
below its lower extremity, that it comes 
fully into view. The portion of the 
Alice Blanche extending from hence to 
Entreves is sometimes called Vol de 
Veni. The pine forests which now 
clothe the slopes on the S. side of the 
valley, and the more luxuriant vegeta- 
tion, present an agreeable contrast to 
the wild and somewhat dreary character 
of the scenery throughout the long 
space from Nant Bourrant. Advanc- 
ing down the valley, and passing oppo- 
site the Mont Peteret, the beautiful 
Glacier de la Brenva comes into view, 
and is too well deserving of examination 
to be fully appreciated by a passing 
traveller ; it is more fully noticed below. 
At the point where the glacier com- 
pletely traverses the valley, bridging 
over the stream and abutting against 
the rocks on the S. side, the path passes 
by the chapel of Notre . Dame de la 



Guerison, and winding round the base 
of the Mont Chetif, reaches the point 
where the Dora, now grown to a river 
after uniting in the two torrents that 
descend from the Col de la Seigne and 
the Col de Ferrex the drainage of at 
least twenty glaciers, escapes through 
the portal opened to the S. between 
the Mont Chetif and the Mont de la 
Saxe. After crossing the Dora by 
a wooden bridge, the path reaches the 
baths of La Saxe. near to which is the 
Hotel du Mont Blanc, commanding a 
finer view than Courmayeur, and nearer 
to most of the objects of interest. It 
was formerly pretty well kept and 
cheaper than the hotels at Courmayeur, 
but it is said that the management has 
fallen off, while the prices have increased. 
About 1 m. from La Saxe, and 4 hrs.' 
steady walking from the Col de la Seigne, 
is 

Courmayeur (Inns : Hotel Royal; 
Angelo; both well managed and com- 
fortable, prices rather high for Pied- 
mont, but less than at Chamouni ; 
visitors remaining some time pay a 
fixed moderate charge for rooms and 
living ; H. de l'Union, second-rate), a 
large village, much frequented in sum- 
mer by visitors from Turin, who seek 
here mountain air, fine scenery, or the 
mineral waters, of which several springs 
exist near the village. In addition to 
these, it has become of late years a 
frequent resort of English and other 
foreign tourists, who have discovered 
here a rival to Chamouni. Though 
higher than that village, being about 
4,000 ft. above the sea, the climate is 
considerably warmer, but if in fine 
weather the days are hot, the nights are 
always cool. Several of the excursions 
within easy reach may rival, if they do 
not excel, those equally accessible from 
Chamouni, and for a panoramic view of 
the Mont Blanc range the Cramont may 
well dispute precedence with the Bre- 
vent ; but owing to the peculiar con- 
formation of that range already alluded 
to, it is far more difficult from this side 
to gain access to the upper snow region, 
and aspiring mountaineers will probably 



EOUTE B. GLACIER DE LA BRENVA. 



199 



continue to look on Chamouni as the 
best head -quarters for the explorer of 
Mont Blanc. 

In respect to guides, Courmayeur is 
far behind Chamouni, there being no 
men at all worthy to rank for general 
intelligence and information, or the 
special qualifications of skill and intre- 
pidity, with the best of the Chamouni 
guides. It has, nevertheless, been 
thought good policy to assimilate the 
system to that at Chamouni, both as to 
the tariff of charges and other details. 
It is, of course, easy for the holder of 
an inferior article to ask the same price 
that is paid for the better one, but the 
contrivance is not likely to be long suc- 
cessful, or it would be more generally 
practised. There are many men at 
Courmayeur quite competent to conduct 
strangers through all the ordinary ex- 
cursions, but very few who are worth 
taking on an expedition of any real 
difficulty. Valentin Rev and Otto Bion 
are said to be both efficient men and 
good mountaineers. 

Courmayeur stands at the natural 
termination of the Val d' Aosta, called, 
between St. Didier and Entreves, Val 
d , E?iireves, and the only easy access is 
by the carriage -road which descends to 
Aosta. Travellers who take the dili- 
gence from Aosta to St. Didier (§ 15, 
Kte. A) are forwarded in lighter car- 
riages to Courmayeur, a distance of 
about 3 m., but all the way up hill,, so 
that a pedestrian loses no time. The 
immediate neighbourhood of Courma- 
yeur, not to speak of the surrounding 
mountains, produces many interesting 
plants, such as Silene vallesia, Scutellaria 
Alpina, &c. 

In appreciating the advantages and 
drawbacks of Courmayeur as head- 
quarters for tourists, it is right to say 
that the view from the village is far 
more limited than from Chamouni. The 
summit of Mont Blanc is concealed by 
the comparatively insignificant Mont 
Chetif, and none of the higher summits 
of the range are in sight. 

In enumerating the chief excursions 
to be made from Courmayeur, it may be 



observed, that the district has been far 
less thoroughly explored than the neigh- 
bourhood of Chamouni, and an active 
mountaineer may doubtless cut out for 
himself many new expeditions. One 
of these, especially deserving attention, 
is the ascent of the Grande JRossere 
(10,905'), the highest point in the 
range, extending ENE. from Cour- 
mayeur. From its position this must 
be the best point for a survey of the 
least known part of the Mont Blanc 
range — that between the Mont Dolent 
and the Aiguille du Geant. 

L Glacier de la Brenva.. This beau- 
tiful glacier descends from the upper- 
most shelves and plateaux of Mont 
Blanc directly to the Alice Blanche, 
which it completely bars across, giving 
passage to the torrent through a 
vault beneath the ice, and abutting 
against the opposite wall of rock. The 
main portion of the ice-stream is bent 
round so as to follow the general direc- 
tion of the valley, and it is apparent that 
at no distant time it has reached nearly 
to the junction- of the two branches of 
the Dora at the foot of the Mont Chetif. 
Although in falling down the steep 
slope E, of the Mont Peteret the glacier 
passes round a steep island of rock, 
there is but slight trace of a medial 
moraine. Both on account of the 
grandeur of the surrounding scenery, 
and the peculiar conditions of pres- 
sure in the glacier near to the point 
where it abuts against the opposite slope 
of the valley, a visit to this glacier is 
equally interesting to the lover of nature 
and the lover of science. It is usually 
easy to reach the surface of the glacier 
a short way below the chapel of Notre 
Dame de la Guerison, and it is also pos- 
sible, after crossing the river a little way 
higher up, to mount the slope of the 
enormous moraine which crosses the 
valley like a huge railway embankment, 
care being taken not to bring down the 
huge blocks that are sometimes piled 
up in unstable equilibrium. Those 
blocks come from the Mont Peteret, 
which towers in the most defiant 
fashion above the middle region of the 



200 



PENNINE ALPS. § 16. 



MONT BLANC DISTRICT. 



glacier. It is possible, and worth the 
trouble, to approach very near to its 
base, and beautiful as are many of the 
Aiguilles on the side of Chamouni, 
there is none that for massive grandeur 
and daring can surpass this. On the 
narrow ledges, safe from the approach of 
human foot, the writer has counted 37 
chamois in a single herd. 

There is no difficulty in descending 
from the glacier on the N. side ; but in 
warm weather there is sometimes a 
little trouble in crossing the swollen 
torrents that come down from the small 
glaciers lying along the ridge connect- 
ing Mont Blanc with the Aiguille du 
Geant. Lower down a shepherd's track 
is found that may be followed to En- 
treves, but it is worth while to make a 
slight detour to approach the ice cavern 
at the foot of the glacier, whence the 
Dora, now doubled in volume, reissues 
to the light of day. 

2. Col de Checruit. Those who have 
no occasion to cross the Col de la 
Seigne, should nevertheless make the 
summit of that pass the object of a 
day's excursion from Courmayeur, or, if 
that be too fatiguing, should at least 
visit the Lac de Combal. For that 
purpose they will do well to vary their 
route, following a mule-path over the 
Col de Checruit, between the Mont 
Chetif and the Cramont. Crossing the 
Dora opposite the village, the mule-path 
follows the 1. bank of a torrent for J m., 
and then mounts the side of the ravine 
by steep zigzags to a little oratory 
perched on a rock. The way then lies 
over gently sloping pastures to the Col, 
about 2 hrs. from Courmayeur. From 
the Col, or, better still, from a rock to the 
rt., there is a noble view of Mont Blanc 
and the Allee Blanche. One path 
descends directly through the pine 
forest, but it is a better plan to keep to 
the I. along the slope of the mountain by 
a rougher path that falls into the valley 
a little above the Lac de Combal. The 
latter path is not well traced, and may 
require a guide. It has the advantage 
of obtaining a good view of the Glacier de 
Miage, which is not otherwise well seen. 



3. The Moid Chetif, also called Mont 
Dolina, and Pain de Sucre, is the dome- 
shaped, nearly isolated, eminence, con- 
spicuous from Courmayeur, because it 
shuts out the view of the main mass of 
Mont Blanc. Following the above- 
mentioned mule-path to the Col de 
Checruit, a path turns off to the rt. ^ hr. 
before the -Col, and leads in lj hr. to 
the summit of the mountain, command- 
ing a noble view, nearly equal to that 
from the Cramont, and far easier of 
access. 

4. The Cramont The principal sum- 
mit of the range separating the Allee 
Blanche from the valley of the Little St. 
Bernard is the Cramont (corrupted from 
Grand Mont). Its position, exactly 
opposite to the summit of Mont Blanc, 
is a counterpart of that of the Bre vent- 
in the \ alley of Chamouni. In some 
respects the panorama is finer, because 
more free in the direction opposed to 
Mont Blanc, and commanding most of 
the higher peaks of the Pennine and 
GraianAlps. The side of the Cramont, 
facing Courmayeur, is not absolutely 
inaccessible, but is so extremely steep 
that the ascent involves much additional 
labour and loss of time. The ordinary 
way requires a considerable detour, and 
is long, but not very fatiguing. Mules 
may be taken to within 1^ m. of the 
summit. It is well to start very early 
to avoid the heat of the sun during the 
ascent, and to gain time for thorough 
enjoyment of the scenery. It is neces- 
sary to commence in a manner always 
distasteful to the mountaineer, by de- 
scending for 3 m. to St. Didier. It is 
possible to avoid the road and follow a 
path along the rt. bank of the Doire, 
but this is so rough that it involves some 
loss of time. From St. Didier the road 
to the Little St. Bernard (§ 15, Rte. A) 
is followed for J hr., and then a path 
strikes off to the rt. among larches, and 
mounts gradually for 2 hrs., passing 
several chalets. On reaching the limit 
of the larch, which is here at 6,800 ft., 
the ascent becomes too steep for mules, 
and the remainder of the way must 
be made on foot, chiefly up rather 



ROUTE C. SALLANCHES TO ST. GERVAIS. 



201 



steep parched slopes of grass not very 
troublesome to mount, but requiring 
caution in the descent, hr. more, 
or 4 hrs. from St. Didier, suffice to 
reach the summit (9,059'), consisting 
of slightly inclined slabs of rocls, which 
on the side facing Mont Blanc project 
a little beyond the edge of the precipi- 
tous face of the mountain. The view 
has been deservedly celebrated by Saus- 
sure, Forbes, and all other travellers 
who have been fortunate enough to reach 
the summit in favourable weather. If it 
be allowable to note a defect in the pre- 
sence of a scene so magnificent, it may 
be said that the Mont Chetif and a por- 
tion of the lower part of the Cram on t 
itself prevent the eye from reaching the 
bottom of the Alice Blanche, arid thus, 
although the height is considerably 
greater than that of the Brevent or the 
Mont Joli, the range of Mont Blanc is 
not here seen to spring out of a valley 
relatively so deep or so well defined. 3 
hrs. suffice for the descent to St. Didier. 
On reaching the point where the mule- 
path comes to an end, a practised crags- 
man may descend direct to Courma- 
yeur; not much time is saved, but he 
gains the pleasing excitement of a stiff 
scramble. 

The ascent of the Cramont is some- 
times taken in the way from Cour- 
mayeur to the Little St. Bernard, by 
travellers intending to sleep there or at 
Bourg St. Maurice (§ 15, lite. A). 

' The traveller who proposes to make 
a visit to the Cramont a part of his 
day's journey to St. Maurice, should 
start very early, and direct that the 
mules, if he take any, should, from 
where he left them, be sent across the 
pasturages, to chalets which lie in his 
way to the village of La Balme. He 
will thus gain time in ascending the 
valley, though the descent to the ham- 
let of Eleva, down a steep and rugged 
path over loose stones, is fatiguing. 
La Balme is in the valley, about an 
hour's walk above where the path up 
through the forest leads to the Cramont ; 
and there is no object of interest missed 
between the two places.' — [M.] 



5. The Mont de la Saxe, rising NE. 
of Courmayeur, commands a view of 
the Grandes Jorasses and the adjoining 
peaks, which is even superior to that 
from the Cramont. It is easily reached 
in 2^ or 3 hrs., and well deserves a visit. 
'After passing the baths of La Saxe, the 
track to the rt., leading into the Val 
Ferrex, is followed for a short distance, 
and then the ascent begins by an easy 
path, which gradually reaches the sum- 
mit ; .this is a sort of undulating plateau, 
in which no single point much over- 
looks the rest. The finest view is from 
an eminence called the Croix de Ber- 
nada.' — [ M.] 

6. The Mont Carmel, also called 
Mont Cormet, and Mont Merou, lies 
about due W. of Courmayeur in the 
range whose highest summit is the 
Grande Rossere. It is fully 1,000 ft. 
higher than the Mont de la Saxe, and 
about on a level with the Cramont. The 
ascent is here pointed out as deserving 
attention, and information respecting it 
is desired. 

7. Tlie Col da Geant, leading from 
Courmayeur t.o Chamouni, is described 
in Rte. F. Those who do not intend 
crossing the pass may make an ex- 
tremely interesting excursion to the 
summit, returning in the afternoon to 
Courmayeur. Practised mountaineers 
may, in settled weather, find the way 
without a guide, but a solitary traveller 
should on no account attempt to descend 
on the N. side of the pass, as there is 
usually a concealed crevasse a short 
distance below the Col. 



Route 

satxanches to co nt a mines and 
courmayeur, by st. gervais. 

4i hrs.' walking to Contamines. 

The large majority of foreigners who 
reach Sallanches from Geneva, are 
bound for Chamouni, and follow the 



202 



PENNINE ALPS. § 16. MONT BLANC DISTRICT. 



road described in Rte. A, but many 
Swiss visitors pass through that place 
on their way to the baths of St. Gervais, 
and some mountaineers have found the 
village of St. Gervais, about a mile 
above the baths, to be convenient head- 
quarters for exploring the W. side of 
Mont Blanc. Travellers who have al- 
ready visited Chamouni, and are bound 
for the S. side of Mont Blanc, may, by 
following the direct way here described, 
reach Contamines, or even Nant Bour- 
rant, on the evening of the first day, 
and so gain Courmayeur on the second 
long day from Geneva. 

From Sallancbes there is a good 
char- road to the baths, a distance 
of 6 miles — cost of a char, 5 or 6 fr. 
The road keeps near the base of 
the mountain at some distance from 
the Arve, leaving on the rk the road 
which mounts by Combloux to Megeve 
(§ 12, Rte. A). On the slope below the 
first of those villages, and near Domency, 
are a profusion of erratic blocks depo- 
sited there by the ancient glacier; and 
near to the baths of St. Gervais the re- 
mains of a gigantic moraine, partly cut 
away by torrents, well deserve exami- 
nation. After passing the Bonnant, 
just where it issues from the valley of 
Montjoie, one road, turning sharp to the 
]., leads to Chede,on the direct way from 
Sallanches to Chamouni (Rte. A), and 
another mounts the hill to the village of 
St. Gervais. A traveller who has engaged 
a char to the village need not pass by 
the baths, but it is shorter for a pedes- 
trian to keep the lower road, which leads 
in \ hr. from the bridge to the Baths 
of St. Gervais (2,0670, standing in a 
picturesque situation in the rocky gorge 
of the Bonnant. For the extent and 
completeness of the buildings and their 
appurtenances, they surpass all similar 
establishments in Savoy. The edifice 
comprises a large central pile connected 
on either side with two wings, containing 
more than a hundred bed-rooms, with 
several large public rooms for dinner, 
conversation, dancing, and music. There 
is besides a considerable library and a 
collection of natural history, antiquities, 



&c. The charge for persons remaining 
en pension is 8 fr. a day. This place 
was formerly much frequented by good 
Swiss society, but complaints as to the 
management, and the unobliging dispo- 
sition of the proprietor or director, have 
been frequent of late years. Those who 
think of remaining there for any time 
will do well to ascertain whether there 
has been a change in the management. 
Of the two principal springs, one is 
warm and sulphureous, the other chaly- 
beate. The ascent of the Mont Joli 
may be made in 4^ hrs. from the Baths. 

A rather steep path, much shorter 
than the char-road, and commanding 
fine views, leads, in 20 min., direct from 
the Baths to the village of 

St. Gervais (Inns : H. du Mont Joli, 
very well kept, pension 6fr. a day; H. 
du Mont Blanc ; H. de l'Union ; H. du 
Prarion), finely situated at 2,680 ft. 
above the sea, and 613 ft. above the 
Baths. This place has been resorted to 
by mountaineers of late years, in part 
because it is well situated for some ex- 
cursions on the W. side of Mont Blanc, 
but mainly to escape from the vexatious 
restrictions and exorbitant tariff of the 
Regulations for the Guides at Chamouni. 
There are several good guides here, not 
perhaps quite equal to the very best of 
the Chamouni men, but thoroughly 
trustworthy. Of these, Hoste, and Jo- 
seph and Lucien Jacquet may be recom- 
mended. MoDard, who was highly 
thought of by his employers, no longer 
undertakes difficult expeditions, but may 
be consulted with advantage. He lives 
at La Villette, near Bionnay. 

[Three ways lead from hence to Cha- 
mouni: the char-road above mentioned, 
passing by Chede, makes a long detour; 
the way by the Col de Voza (Rte. B), 
which is the most interesting, also in- 
volves a circuit ; a more direct way, 
shorter by 2 m. and considerably lower, 
is by the Col de la Forclaz. A char- 
road has been for some time in progress. 
Mules take nearly 5 hrs. to reach Cha- 
mouni, but 4|- hrs. suffice for a pedes- 
trian. The summit (4,952') commands 
a view similar to that from the Col de 



ROUTE D. COL 

Voza, but less commanding and more 
limited. Superior to either is that from 
the summit of the Prarion between the 
two passes; but this is most conveniently 
reached from the Col de Voza.] 

The ascent from the village of St. 
Gervais to Bionnay, along the rt. bank 
of the Bonnant, requires but 45 min. ; 
and there the mule-track to Contamines 
joins the way from Chamouni described 
in the last Kte. 



Route D. 

COURMAYETJR TO CONTAMINES, BY THE 
COL DE TRELATETE. 
10 hrs.' walking. 

The way from Chamouni to Cour- 
mayeur described in Rte. B, passing 
round the W. side of the range of 
Mont Blanc, and the circuit by the 
eastern end of the same range de- 
scribed in Rtes. H and K, both involve 
a detour which is not less than four times 
the direct distance between those places; 
but it is possible to reduce considerably 
the distance, and in a less degree the 
time necessary for the journey, by glacier 
passes of more or less difficulty. The 
Col de Miage and the Col du Geant, 
described in the two following routes, 
are the only passes which lead directly 
into the Allee Blanche. The first is one 
of the most arduous which has been yet 
traversed, and the second is sometimes 
difficult and at all times a laborious expe- 
dition. The way described in the present 
route has only been known of late ) ears, 
but bids fair to be the favourite passage 
for those who, without seeking diffi- 
culties, are anxious to add the enjoyment 
of fine glacier scenery to all that is really 
interesting in the old route. Between 
Contamines and the Col de la Seigne 
it saves not less than 5 hrs. on the way 
by Chapiu; and it is just possible for a 
pedestrian in thorough training to make 
the whole distance from Chamouni in one 
long day, but far more advisable to sleep 
at the Pavilion de Trelatete or at Con- ( 



DE TRELATETE. 203 

tamines. In the following account, with 
which the editor has been favoured by 
Mr. F. F. Tuckett, the way is described 
as taken by that gentleman from the 
Col de la Seigne to Contamines. When 
the passage is made in the opposite di- 
rection, at least 1 hr. more should be 
allowed between those points ; but, on 
the other hand, it is necessary to allow 
nearly 5 hrs. for the ascent from Cour- 
maveur to the Col de la Seigne, while 
4 hrs. suffice for the descent. A guide 
is necessary for this pass, and whenever 
snow lies on the glacier, none of the 
ordinary precautions should be omitted. 
By Mr. Tuckett's observations the height 
of the Col is 9,204 ft. 

' On quitting the Col de la Seigne, 
the traveller, instead of proceeding for- 
wards to Motet, must strike off to the 
rt. towards a depression in the ridge 
between the Aiguille du Glacier and 
a more westerly summit — known as the 
Tondu or Tandieu. To reach this point 
the Glacier des Lancettes must be tra- 
versed, but as it is cut off from the Col 
de la Seigne by some steep ravines, time 
would probably be gained by descend- 
ing first for a few hundred yards to 
the W., crossing its lower portion, which 
does not present any serious difficulty. 
From the W. side of the Glacier, gently 
inclined slopes of snow lead up to the 
depression already alluded to, and in 
about 2 hrs. after quitting the Col de la 
Seigne that of Trelatete is reached. 
The view is a- fine one, but travellers 
are recommended to climb the rocky 
point to the RE. which commands a 
greater extent of horizon. To the S., 
the Graian Alps from the Grivola 
to the Grande Casse are admirably 
seen. The mass of the Tondu confines 
the range of vision in a W. direction, 
as that of the Aiguille du Glacier does 
to the eastward, but between NW. 
and NE. the summits of the Aiguilles 
de Miage and Berenger, with the 
ranges bordering the valley of the 
Arve, form very beautiful features in 
the view. Beneath is the central part 
of the Glacier de Trelagrande, com- 
monly called Glacier de Trelatete, and 



204 



PENNINE ALPS. § 16. MONT BLANC DISTRICT. 



over its head, between the Aiguille de 
Miage and de Trelatete, the summit of 
Mont Blanc is a very grand and con- 
spicuous object. The perspective ex- 
tent of snow-surfaces is proverbially 
deceptive, and in the present instance 
the neve of the glaciers before us ap- 
peared to unite directly with the W. 
slopes of the Mont Blanc. In reality, 
however, the entire basin of the southern 
Miage Glacier intervenes, and is sepa- 
rated from the head of that of Trela- 
tete by extremely precipitous, if not 
impassable slopes of rock, which are 
well seen from the Col de Miage, 

' To gain the Glacier de Trelagrande 
from the Col, it is necessary to keep 
to the L in the direction of the Tondu 
for a short distance, then turn to the 
rt. in order to avoid the crevasses on 
the 1. side of the lateral glacier which 
descends from the Col. A quarter of 
an nr. suffices for the descent, and the 
course then lies down the middle of 
the central portion of the main ice- 
stream, wnich is a noble one, and 
bounded by numerous lofty summits — 
the Tondu, the Aiguille du Glacier, the i 
Aiguille de l'Allee Blanche, the Aiguille j 
de Trelatete, Mont Blanc (seen over its | 
head), the A'guille de Miage and the | 
Aiguille de Bereuger. The inclination 1 
soon increases, but the crevasses present i 
no serious difficulty, and a second and j 
lower plateau, above the final ice-fall, | 
is reached in about J an hr. Leaving 
the centre of the glacier, and making 
diagonally for the rt. lateral moraine, the 
ice is quitted about 1 hr. from the Col, 
and a short scramble down debris 
and rocks brings the traveller to a path 
leading to the Pavilion de Trelatete in 
rather less than J hr. The noble ice- 
fall on the 1. is a grand and beau- 
tiful object, whilst in the opposite direc- 
tion nothing can be conceived more 
lovely than the bird's-eye view down the 
Val de Montjoie, The Pavilion affords 
good sleeping accommodation, and 
would be in many respects the best 
starting-point for those going to Cour- 
mayeur. Other interesting excursions 
may be made from it, such as the ascent 



1 of the Aiyuille de Miage and Aiguille 
| de Berenger, the exploration of the 
I upper portion of the Glacier de Trela- 
l tete, &c. The landlord and his wife are 
I well spoken of. The descent from the 
Pavilion to Contamines occupies about 
1 hr. It will thus be seen that the 
entire distance from this Col de la 
Seigne to Contamines need not occupy 
more than 5 hrs. Taken in the oppo- 
site direction, more time must be 
allowed, on account of the lower level 
of the starting-point.' — [F. F. T.] 



Route E. 

CH AMOUNT TO COURMATEUR, BY THE 
COL DE MIAGE. 

18 hrs.' walking. 
It has been already remarked, that the 
only considerable breach in the range of 
Mont Blanc is that indicated by the Col 
de Miage. It is not merely that this is 
the lowest depression in the range, but 
that the two glaciers, both named Gla- 
cier de Miage, which descend N. and 
S. from the Col. lie in hollows that are 
cut deeper and farther into the mass 
than any other. The ridge over which 
the pass lies has been truly likened to a 
dyke or causeway, connecting together 
the Aiguille de Bionnassay with the 
Aiguille de Miage, and it is so steep 
on both sides that two points, which, if 
a tunnel existed, would not be quite 
2 m. apart, are separated by 8 or 9 
hrs, of laborious climbing. The S. Gla- 
cier de Miage occupies in truth the 
only considerable break in the con- 
tinuity of the S. ridge of Mont Blanc 
between the Aiguille du Glacier and 
the Mont Dolent. 

The Col de Miage has been several 
times reached by adventurous moun- 
taineers, who have sought in this direc- 
tion & new route to the summit of 
Mont Blanc. It would be rash to fix 
limits to the energy and perseverance 
of our countrymen, but it may be 
safely predicted that whatever way 



ROUTE E. — COL DE MI AGE. 



205 



may be forced in this direction will 
be found much longer and more difficult 
than those already known. As a pass 
from the Allee Blanche to Chamouni or 
to St. Gervais, the Col has been little 
used, nor is it likely ever to become fre- 
quented. The earliest passage, as far 
as the writer knows, was by some 
chamois hunters, of whom one perished 
in a crevasse at the N. base of the Col. 
The first foreign traveller was Mr. 
Coleman, who has given an account of 
his passage in 1858, in his beautiful 
work, ' Scenes from the Snow Fields.' 
Another interesting account of the pass, 
by Mr. J. G. Dodson, is contained in 
the second series of ' Peaks, Passes, and 
Glaciers/ Mr. Dodson and his com- 
panions achieved the whole distance 
from Courmayeur to Chamouni in a 
single day of rather less than 19 hrs., 
of which but lj-hr. was given to halts. 
But this t&ur de force was accomplished 
under very favourable circumstances, 
by men who were in the highest state 
of training, and who were thus enabled 
to accomplish the less difficult parts of 
the day's journey in much less than the 
usual time. The difficulties on the S. 
side seem to be rather greater than on 
the N., but in whichever direction it be 
taken, none but first-rate men should 
be employed as guides, and none of the 
approved precautions and appliances of 
glacier-travelling should be omitted. 
In taking the pass from Chamouni it is 
advisable to sleep at the Chalets de 
Miage, or else at that of La Turche, 
higher up on the N. side of the glacier. 
When taken from Courmayeur a travel- 
ler may rest for the night at the Chalet 
de la Visaille,. near the foot of the south- 
ern Glacier de Mi a ge. 

Starting from Chamouni the way lies 
for 4| hrs. over the Col de Voza (Rte. 
B), to the foot of the Glacier de Bion- 
nassay. On the S. side that glacier is 
bounded by a ridge, whose prominent 
summits in descending are the Aiguille 
de Bionnassay, the Aiguille de Tricot, 
and the Mont Vorassay. Between the 
two last named is a comparatively low 
pass, called Col de Tricot, leading from 



the lower end of the Bionnassay Glacier 
to the Chalets de Miage, on the N. side 
of the Miage Glacier. Should the 
traveller have slept at the Pavilion on 
the Col de Yoza, or at Bionnassay, he 
need not, in passing: from the Col de 
Tricot, descend so low as the Chalets 
de Miage. The ascent along the slopes, 
and afterwards by the moraine of the 
Glacier de Miage, is rather long and 
fatiguing. On reaching the upper level 
of the glacier the aspect of the ridge 
which has to be traversed is formidable 
even to experienced mountaineers. Its 
appearance is that of a gigantic dyke, 
2,'fOO ft. in height, rising almost ab- 
ruptly from the gently sloping neve of 
the upper glacier, and defended by a 
series of great crevasses.of which one es- 
pecially, a truebergschrund, runs along 
the base of the rocks by which the ascent 
is effected. Usually, but not always, a 
snow bndee is to be found at the re- 
quired point. In the centre of the 
ridge, just below the lowest point of 
the Col, a steep couloir of snow extends 
from top to bottom of the slope, 
flanked on either side by extremely 
steep rocks. Beyond these rocky 
aretes, on either side the ridge, appears 
still more impracticable, the ice-slopes 
being of formidable steepness, and in- 
terrupted now and then by ledges of 
rock or vertical faces of ice. The most 
obvious way of attempting the ascent 
would be by the snow-couloir, which, 
though in truth very steep, is not quite 
beyond the limit of what may be 
accomplished by step-cutting ; but the 
experienced mountaineer -will anticipate 
the real difficulty, which lies in the fact 
that the couloir is the channel through 
which masses of snow and detached 
fragments of rock shoot, rather than 
slide, down to the bottom of the ridge. 
It is by the rocks to the 1. or NE. of 
the couloir that the ascent is effected, 
and they are so steep and difficult that 
fully 2j hrs. must be allowed. In the 
first ascent of this side of the Col, of 
which any account has been published, 
and which is contained in the first series 
of 4 Peaks, Passes, and Glaciers/ Messrs. 



206 



PENNINE ALPS. § 16. MONT BLANC DISTRICT. 



Hawkins, Davies, Hort and Watson, 
who were forced speedily to redescend 
by a snow-storm encountered near the 
summit, were led by Octenier, an ex- 
perienced and now elderly guide, by 
very steep rocks and snow-slopes on 
the 1., till they reached the rocky ridge 
in question at a considerable height 
above the bergschrund at its base, the 
object being to avoid that difficulty. 
At certain times, when there is no 
snow-bridge, that course, although 
tedious, would be the most expedient. 
The summit of the Col ( 1 1,1 00' ? ) is but 
a very few yards in width, and the view 
is chiefly interesting as the only point 
near at hand from whence the W. side 
of the peak of Mont Blanc has yet been 
surveyed. From the S. side of the Col 
a broad couloir, or corridor of ice, 
seemingly not impracticable, leads up 
the slopes of the Aig. de Bionnassay in 
the direction of the Dome du Goute, and 
it is by this that a way to the summit 
of Mont Blanc has been suspected. 

The southern Glacier de Miage is 
altogether on a grander scale than that 
on the N. side. It receives the snows 
which accumulate in a great amphi- 
theatre formed by the ridge extending 
from the summit of Mont Blanc to 
the Dome du Goute, and thence to 
the Aiguille de Bionnassay, descend- 
ing in an ice-fall of the grandest 
character to the lowest level, which 
stretches down into the Allee Blanche. 
To effect the descent, it is necessary to 
pass some way along the ridge of the 
Col towards the SW., where it is nar- 
rowed to a mere path, and then to 
traverse a moderately steep slope of 
neve, beset with concealed crevasses. 
After a ^ hr. this leads to the summit 
of the excessively steep crags on the 
W. side of the great ice-fall, by v>hich 
alone access to the Col from the S. side 
appears practicable. These are of great 
height, and traversed by couloirs of 
snow or ice, and the descent requires 
great care, steadiness, and patience, as 
3 hrs. are required for the purpose. At 
the base of these rocks the difficulties 
are not yet over, as a portion of the 



glacier, very steep and much crevassed, 
still remains before the traveller can 
reach the more gently inclined tract 
where, for the first time, it becomes 
prudent to cast off the rope, and where 
the ice-axe may at lenglh be let to rest. 
The view of the grand masses that en- 
close the glacier, and of the great 
horse-shoe fall of ice, by the side of 
which the descent has been effected, is 
of the most sublime character, and 
should oftener lead visitors to Cour- 
mayeur to explore the lower part, at 
least, of this glacier. Crevasses are 
rather numerous, but do not here 
oppose any real difficulty. In about 
6 hrs. from the Col, or perhaps less if 
the ice be in favourable condition, the 
traveller may hope to have got clear 
of the moraine, and reached the mule- 
path leading to Courmayeur (Rte. B). 
It is quite possible that, if taken rather 
early in the season, before the crevasses 
have widened and lost their snow- 
covering, yet not so early as to incur 
much danger from avalanches, this pass 
may be effected in considerably less 
time, and with less labour than has fallen 
to the share of its earliest explorers. 



Route F. 

CHAMOUNI TO COURMAYEUR, BY THE 
COL DU GEANT. 

12 to 14 hrs.' walk, according to the state of the 
glacier. 

This, for a long time, was the only 
known pass across the range of Mont 
Blanc, and until very lately was sup- 
posed to be the highest in the Alps. 
The exertions of recent explorers, 
almost all of them members of the 
Alpine Club, have, however, added so 
largely to the list of practicable cols 
across the loftiest ridges, that the Col 
du Geant has had to yield precedence 
to at least 25 competitors. Even 
though this list should hereafter be 
largely increased, this pass, traversing 
the very centre of the most extensive 
glacier region of Mont Blanc, and de- 



ROUTE F. — COL DU GEANT. 



207 



scending into Piedmont from a point 
which overlooks all the southern ranges 
of the Alps, will always remain one of 
the most interesting to the lover of 
grand scenery; and there are few ex- 
cursions that, within the compass of a 
single day's walk, initiate a stranger so 
thoroughly in the wonders and beauties 
of the ice-world. 

In taking the nass from Chamouni it 
is a saving of 2 hrs.' walk to sleep at 
the Montanvers, and a still greater 
economy of labour is effected by start- 
ing from the Mont Frety, when the 
journey is made in the opposite direc- 
tion ; but as there is a good path leading 
to either halting- place, the distance 
may be accomplished on foot or with a 
mule before daylight in the morning, 
by a steady walker who does not fear 
fatigue, aud who wishes to secure ample 
time for enjoying the pass, and for con- 
tending with any difficulties that may 
arise from the state of the glacier. 
Constant liability to change is the 
familiar characteristic of the glacier 
region, but there is no moderately fre- 
quented pass so liable to vary in the 
degree and nature of its difficulties as 
the Col du Geant. These arise almost 
exclusively in the passage of the ice- 
cascade, for the remainder of the pass, 
though fatiguing when the snow is in 
bad order, involves no risks whatever, 
other than those which everywhere in 
the Alps attend the neglect of well- 
known precautions. The unfortunate 
accident which in 1860 cost the lives 
of three English travellers, and that 
of one of their guides, and which might 
just as easily have occurred in many 
places often visited by travellers, need not 
deter any well-trained pedestrian, ac- 
companied by an experienced guide, 
from making the pass in line weather. 
If not somewhat used to glacier-travel- 
ling, he will do well to take two guides, 
and however competent in other re- 
spects, he should neglect none of the 
established appliances and precautions. 
Early in the season, when the crevasses 
are comparatively narrow, if the snow 
happens to be in good order, the pass 



may be effected in considerably less 
time than is requisite in August, when 
most frequently passed by strangers. 

From the Montanvers the way to 
the Col du Geant is by the same route 
as that taken to the Jardin (Rte. A, 
Excursion 4), until after passing Tre- 
laporte. Then, instead of bearing to 
the L towards the E. side of the gla- 
cier, the route lies direct towards the 
rocks of the Tacul, until in about 2f 
hrs. the traveller finds himself opposite 
the opening of the Glacier du Geant, 
sometimes called Glacier du Tacul. 
The lower part is moderately even and. 
easily traversed, especially on its E. 
side, but beyond this is seen the great 
ice-cascade, 4 like the foam of ten 
Niagaras placed end to end and 
stiffened into rest.' This exhibits on 
the grandest scale that peculiar condi- 
tion of the ice for which Saussure's 
name, seracs, has been retained (see 
Introduction, Article, Glaciers). It is 
caused by the descent of the vast 
masses of ice formed in the upper basin 
between the ridge of the Col du Geant 
and the Mont Blanc du Tacul, through 
a comparatively narrow opening be- 
tween the steep rocks of La Noire on 
the E. and the mass called Le Kognon 
rising from the midst of the ice to the 
VV. The earlier passageswere generally 
effected on the W. side of the ice-fall, 
but it is now generally agreed that in 
all states of the ice the difficulties are 
less serious on the E. side, where there 
is the further advantage that it is some- 
times possible to take to the rocks 
when the crevasses are too troublesome. 
It is impossible to fix the time requisite 
for the ascent where an hour is some- 
times consumed in advancing two or 
three hundred yards, but, except under 
unusually favourable circumstances, 
from 4 to 6 hrs. from the Tacul are 
required to reach the summit of the 
Col. The rope should not be cast off 
till the very top is gained, as some 
crevasses, usually covered over, recur 
at intervals throughout the upper part 
of the ascent. 

From the summit of the Col, 1 1,1 97 ft. 



208 



PENNINE ALPS. § 16. MONT BLANC DISTRICT. 



in height, the traveller sees little to 
remind him that he is standing on the 
main ridge of Mont Blanc. The great 
group of peaks surrounding the Aiguille 
Yerte does indeed preserve its familiar 
outline when seen from a few yards N. 
of the Col, but so dwarfed as not to be 
immediately recognised. The main 
mass of Mont Blanc, and the Aiguilles 
that separate the upper basin of the 
Glacier du Geant from the valley of 
Chamouni, present a still more unusual 
aspect ; but the portion of the horizon 
which attracts most attention is that 
lying to the S., where the great mass of 
the Graians and many of the higher 
peaks of the Cottian and Dauphine 
Alps, sometimes even far distant 
glimpses of the Maritime Alps and 
the Ligurian Apennine r fill up the 
panorama. 

The reader of Saussure's travels will 
recall with interest the account of his 
ten days' residence on this spot. In 
spite of all that has been done in 
modern times, no more striking proof 
has been given of persevering devotion 
to the cause of science. The highest 
rocks, which are within a few feet of 
the actual Col, are almost exclusively 
composed of pure quartz, which is here 
all but the sole constituent of the pro- 
togine form of granite that constitutes 
the axis of the Mont Blanc range. 
Tolerable crystals are easily obtained. 

The descent towards the Yal d 5 En- 
treves may at hrst appear alarmingly 
long and steep, but except in bad 
weather, does not present any real 
difficulty. A ridge projecting very 
slightly from the face of the mountain 
at once presents itself as the natural 
and secure track. The ground is very 
rough, and when fresh snow fills the 
crevices between the points and edges 
of rock, some caution is necessary to 
avoid disagreeable slips. After a short 
descent the character of the ridge is 
more fully seen ; on the 1. it overhangs 
a snow couloir, which lower down 
terminates in an apparently imprac- 
ticable gully; on the other side is a 
snow-slope, which may be reached 



without difficulty, and which, although 
steep, may be used by practised moun- 
taineers, as rather less troublesome than 
the rocks. This snow-slope terminates, 
however, in that fatal ravine where the 
three travellers and the guide, Frederic 
Tairraz, were lost in 1860. Having 
three tired and unpractised travellers in 
charge, the guides first committed the 
serious imprudence of exchanging the 
security of the rocky ridge for the 
slippery snow-slope, but were guilty of 
the more inexcusable error of merely 
holding in one h ind the rope to which 
the travellers were attached, instead of 
fastening the same round their bodies. 
It is impossible to use the alpenstock 
with effect in checking the descent on 
an ice or snow-slope when it is held in 
one hand only - r but all experienced 
mountaineers are agreed that three men 
with hands free, and knowing how to 
use the alpenstock, could pull up three 
travellers, however helpless* on a far 
steeper slope than that where the fatal 
accident arose. 

The steepest part of the rocky but- 
tress down which the traveller has 
descended is its base, where it springs 
from a more gently inclined ridge con- 
necting it with the Mont Frety. This 
is the only point on the S. side of the 
pass where a man used to mountain 
climbing need wish the aid of a guide, 
but by a little searching he will find an 
exit, and on reaching the base his 
difficulties are over, though a long 
interval still separates him from the 
valley below. The ridge which gra- 
dually expands from hence towards the 
Yal cTEntreves, and is covered towards 
its base with a forest of pine and larch, 
is called the Mont Erety. Not far 
below the base of the rocks, near the 
limit of the highest pastures, a small inn 
was erected a few years ago by the Cour- 
mavenr guides, and leased to a tenant 
who acts as innkeeper. This worthy 
has surpassed, in the shameless audacity 
of his charges, and in the means which 
he has taken to enforce them, all pre- 
ceding example. It may be hoped that 
travellers will make it known that they 



ROUTE Gr. — ASCENT 



OF MONT BLANC. 



209 



will abstain from patronising the inn 
until the management is thoroughly 
reformed. There is no doubt that the 
position is convenient as a halting-place 
for those who take the path from Cour* 
mayeur, but they may save fatigue by 
riding as far as the inn, starting, if well 
advised, an hour or two before day- 
light. A traveller who does not object 
to hurry down a long and steep slope, 
may save a little time by descending 
direct through the forest which clothes 
the base of the Mont Fivty, a d ter- 
minates close to the village of Entreves, 
whence a char-road leads in about 2 m. 
to Courmayeur (lite. B). 



Route G. 

ASCENT OF MONT BLANC. 

The ascent of the highest mountain in 
Europe long passed for a mountaineer- 
ing exploit of the first order, deserving 
of special record, and admitting, on the 
part of those who achieved it, of a style 
of high-flown description which gave a 
formidable idea of the difficulty of the 
performance. Such descriptions repre- 
sented, for the most part in perfect good 
faith, the impression made upon the 
minds of travellers by phenomena new 
and imposing from the grand scale 
on which they operate, very much 
heightened by ignorance of their laws, 
which left the imagination subject to an 
ill-defined sense of wonder and terror. 
The same descriptions might, however, 
with little alteration, have served for the 
ascent of many other of the glacier-clad 
peaks of the Alps and according as 
experience has made men familiar with 
the means and precautions required, and 
more accurate knowledge has enabled 
them to understand the obstacles to be 
overcome, and the dangers to be avoided, 
it is found that the ascent of Mont Blanc 
by the ordinary route is an expedition 
involving no peculiar difficulties, nor, 
when made in favourable weather, any 
appreciable risk. The shrewdness of the 



natives of the valley of Chamouni has 
led them to invest the ascent w r ith as 
much importance as they can contrive to 
give to it, and while they were able to 
obtain for a number of men ten times 
the remuneration which would be con- 
sidered sufficient for the same amount 
of labour and exposure at other seasons 
of the year, they were not likely to 
diminish the allowance of powder that 
is burned to celebrate each successful 
ascent. Of late years the number of 
ascents has very largely increased, and 
the evil now to be guarded against is 
not so much undue appreciation of the 
difficulties as an under-estimate, lead- 
ing men to neglect needful precautions, 
and to dispense with the requisite amount 
of previous training. To guard against 
immediate danger, the guides are usually 
quite worthy of reliance, and if the ob- 
ject be simply to reach the summit, and 
come down again without bodily hurt* 
most Englishmen of active habits, who 
agree to pay the proper number ot 
francs to the guides and innkeepers at 
Chamouni, may count on achieving their 
object, provided the weather be favour- 
able, or they have the patience to wait 
until it becomes so. But men who 
desire not merely to accomplish a feat, 
but to enjoy, in the true sense of the 
word, an expedition which brings them 
face to face with so many phases of the 
beautiful and sublime in Nature, must 
recollect that for that object some gene- 
ral and some special preparation is 
necessary. That amount of training of 
the muscles which will support without 
undue fatigue almost continued exer- 
tion, with but short intervals of rest, 
and little or no sleep, during 24 hours 
or more, is not generally obtained with- 
out several days or weeks of previous 
practice. This might be acquired on 
Scotch moors as well as on the Alps, 
but it is only here that a man can gain 
that familiarity with the ice- world which 
is essential to an intelligent enjoyment 
of its wonders and its beauties. The 
keenest observer, plunging suddenly into 
scenes where everything is new. and, 
unlike previous experience^ carries away 

p 



210 



PENNINE ALPS. § 16. 



MONT BLANC DISTRICT. 



but a confused and over-crowded series 
of impressions, instead of those indelible 
pictures that he might otherwise retain. 
At the least, a traveller should begin by 
ievoting several days to the explora- 
tion of the higher glaciers, however 
thoroughly trained he may otherwise 
be. It should not be forgotten that 
some persons are liable to surfer severely 
from the combined effects of rarefied air 
and unusual exertion at a great height. 
Apart from the difference of constitution 
in individuals, which can be ascertained 
only by trial, there is no doubt that 
habit has a great influence in making 
men insensible to this distressing affec- 
tion. Those who have accustomed them- 
selves to breathe the air at heights of 
11,000 or 12,000 ft. rarely, if ever, feel 
inconvenience when they mount some 
3,000 or 4,000 ft. above that limit. 

The form of the central portion of 
the range, to which alone the name 
Mont Blanc is properly given, has been 
partly indicated in the introduction to 
this chapter, and may be better under- 
stood by referring to a tolerable model 
than by verbal description. The highest 
summit, or calotte, lies in the range 
of peaks which overhangs the Allee 
Blanche. It has been compared to a 
dome of snow irregularly cut away 
on the N. and S. sides, standing on a 
vast basement propped up by buttresses 
of rock, of which the most prominent are 
the Mont Broglia and the Mont Peteret. 
If the range of aiguilles that enclose 
the valley of Chamouni were continuous 
from the Aig. du Midi to the Aig. du 
Goute, the summit of Mont Blanc would 
be completely shut out from that side, 
but between those two summits there is 
a wide opening through which two great 
glaciers descend into the valley. This 
opening corresponds to the main pecu- 
liarity in the architecture of the moun- 
tain. From the central mass a massive 
ridge stretches due N., and by the com- 
parative evenness of its outline presents 
a remarkable contrast to the jagged 
and bristling forms of the surrounding 
ranges. In this ridge the first promi- 
nence has the descriptive name Bosse 



du Dromadaire. The next noticeable 
feature is the huge rounded mass of the 
Dome da Goute (13,294' ?), and at the 
N. end, formed by the Aiguille du Goute 
(12,530'), the ridge is cut away ab- 
ruptly on three sides by steep slopes, 
after the fashion of the gable ends 
of old French roofs. Corresponding 
in some measure to this ridge, another, 
bolder in form, diverges from the sum- 
mit towards the NE. Its two chief 
summits sometimes pass under the col- 
lective name Monts Maudits, but the 
farther and more massive of the two is 
generally known as the Mont Blanc du 
Tacul, while the nearer peak is called 
Mont Maudit, or Aiguille de Saussure. 
Although separated from the Mont 
Blanc du Tacul by a deep cut through 
precipitous rocks, the Aiguille du Midi 
may be considered to be the natural 
termination of this ridge, corresponding 
in position, though not in form, to the 
Aiguille du Goute. 

In the angle between these converging 
ridges is the Grand Plateau (12,900'), a 
level space, probably filled to an enor- 
mous depth with accumulated neve. 
Below this the great snow-valley be- 
tween the N. and NE. ridges is divided 
longitudinally by a much smaller sub- 
ordinate ridge, in great part covered 
with neve and glacier, but projecting 
through this envelope in the sharp peaks 
of the Grands Midets, and terminating 
in the Montague de la Cote, which divides 
the Glacier des Bossons from the Glacier 
de Taconnay. The latter originates in 
the neve that accumulates on the E. 
slopes of the Dome du Goute, and in 
the fold or ledge between it and the 
ridge of the Grands Mulets, while the 
Glacier des Bossons drains the much 
wider snow -valley between the latter 
ridge and that of the Aiguille du Midi. 

Up to the present time but two routes 
have been discovered to the summit of 
Mont Blanc. The one, described below as 
the St. Gervais route, lies along the sum- 
mit of the ridge extending from the top 
to the Aiguille du Goute; the other, now 
called the Chamouni route, lies mainly 
along the E. base of the same ridge, by 



110 UTE G. ASCENT OF MONT BLANC. 



211 



the ledge formed between it and the 
minor ridge of the Grands Mulets. 

The first step towards the ascent of 
Mont Blanc was made by Saussure, who, 
after his first visits toChamouni in 1760 
arid 1761, offered, a liberal reward to 
the person who should first find a way 
to the summit. 

The first attempt was not made till 
1 775, when four guides mounted by the 
Montagne de la Cote, and probably 
arrived some way above the Grands 
Mulets when they were overpowered 
'by the reverberation of the sun from 
the snow, and the stagnation of the air 
in the valley.' The next attempt, in 
1783, was abandoned because one of the 
party of three guides was seized with an 
irresistible desire to sleep. Later in the 
same year M. Bourrit made his first 
attempt, but was driven back by a 
storm. 

In 1784 M. Bourrit learned that two 
chasseurs had reached a great height on 
the Aiguille du Goute, and had found 
the snow-slopes 'so well aerated' that 
there was no risk of the suffocation caused 
by ' the stagnation of the air in the great 
snow-valley.' He accordingly started 
with the same chasseurs, but having 
gained the foot of the Aiguille du Goute, 
he was overcome by cold and fatigue. 
The two chasseurs went forward, and 
attained a much greater height. 

In September 1785, Saussure, with his 
son and M. Bourrit, made his first at- 
tempt by way of the Aiguille du Goute. 
The party passed the night at a cabane, 
which had been prepared near the foot 
of the Aiguille. On the next day they 
took the same course that has been fol- 
lowed by recent travellers, crossed the 
4 Grand Couloir,' and climbed some way 
farther up. Here they were arrested by 
the quantity of fresh snow on the ledges 
of the rocks, and they retreated after 
gaining a height of 12,195 ft. 

In June 1786, Pierre Balmat, with 
two other guides, commissioned by 
Saussure for the purpose, erected another 
cabane higher up and nearer to the base 
of the Aiguille du Goute. On the follow- 
ing day they climbed the Aiguille, and 

F 



reached the summit of the Dome du 
Goute, where, by previous arrangement, 
they met Dr. Paccard with Jacques Bal- 
mat and two others, who had ascended 
by way of the Montagne de la Cote. 
The united party reached the commence- 
ment of the ridge connecting the Dome 
with the summit, but judging this to be 
impracticable, they redescended towards 
Chamouni. On the way, Jacques Bal- 
mat separated from his companions, and 
passed the night alone on the snow. The 
following day was employed by him in 
exploring the mountain, and he then 
succeeded in discovering the way from 
the Grand Plateau to the summit. 

In the month of August of the same 
year,. Balmat actually reached the top 
for the first time, and led with him Dr. 
Paccard, and in July 1787 made his 
second ascent with two other Chamouni 
guides. 

Saussure made soon after his cele- 
brated ascent with Jacques Balmat and 
seventeen other guides. Starting on the 
1st August, he passed the first night at 
the top of the Montagne de la Cote, and 
the second at the Grand Plateau. On 
the 3rd August he reached the summit, 
where he remained 3^ hrs., and re- 
descended to a point about 1,300 ft. 
below the bivouac of the previous night, 
returning to Chamouni on the fourth 
day. Pive days later Colonel Beaufoy, 
an English traveller, made a successful 
ascent, in which he was destined to be 
followed by so many of his country- 
men. 

Por a long time no change was made 
in the route followed by Balmat and 
Saussure, except that it was found more 
convenient to pass the first night on the 
rocks of the Grands Mulets, rather than 
on the Montagne de la Cote, and to 
reach the halting-place by ascending the 
rt. bank of the y Glacier des Bossons to 
the Pierre a l'Echelle, and then cross- 
ing the glacier. 

In 1820 a large party, including 
Dr. Hamel, a Russian, and two English 
travellers, who persisted in the ascent 
against the advice of the guides, after a 
fall of fresh snow, was cut in two by an 
2 



212 



PEXXIXE ALPS. § 16. 



MONT BLAXC DISTRICT. 



avalanche while ascending the steep 
slopes between the Grand Plateau and 
the highest peak, and three guides thus 
lost their lives. This, the solitary fatal 
accident that has happened, in the large 
number of ascents, suggested the ex- 
pediency of a change of route. Accord- 
ingly, in 1 827, Messrs. C. Fellowes and 
W. Hawe.% with Jos. Marie Couttet and 
several other guides, struck out a new 
way by the Corridor and the Mur de la 
Cote, which has been generally followed 
since that ascent. 

No serious attempt seems to have 
been made to discover a new route to 
the summit until 1854, when Mr. J. H. 
Ramsay endeavoured to strike out a way 
from the Col du Geant. In this he was 
not successful, nor did better fortune 
attend a party of English travellers who 
renewed the attempt in the following 
year. Having gained the gap between 
the Aiguille du Midi and the Mont Blanc 
du Tacul, and reached a great height on 
the W. side of the latter peak, they were 
stopped by bad weather and forced to 
retreat. 

A few days later the same party made 
a new attempt from St. Gervais. Hav- 
ing passed the remains of Saussure's 
cabane of 1785, they spent the night in 
another higher up, erected in 1854 by 
a M. Guichard. Early on the next 
morning they climbed the Aiguille, and 
reached the summit of the Dome du 
Goute\ Leaving behind them the porters 
and two of their companions, the party, 
consisting of the Revds. C. Hudson, 
Grenville, and Christopher Smith, and 
Messrs, E. S. Kennedy and C. Ainslie, 
descended to the Grand Plateau, and 
reached the summit, without guides, on 
the 14th August, 1855. 

This ascent had the effect of emanci- 
pating travellers from the vexatious re- 
strictions of the old Charnouni regula- 
tions, and the unreasonable expenses to 
which they were there subjected, but it 
left the route to the summit by the N. 
ridge still incomplete. Several attempts 
to supply the portion still wanting, and 
one intended to discover a new route by 
the Col de Miage, were made in 1856, 



and were all defeated by bad weather. 
These are recounted by Mr. F. V. Haw- 
kins in the first series of 4 Peaks, Passes, 
and Glaciers.' 

It was not until 1859 that the practi- 
cability of the ridge connecting the sum- 
mit with the Dome du Godte was finally 
established by the Rev. C. Hudson, who 
four years earlier had taken a leading 
share in the first ascent from St. Gervais. 
Having mounted from Charnouni to the 
Grand Plateau by the ordinary route, he 
then ascended the Dome du Goute, and 
followed the ridge leading to the summit 
by the Bosse du Dromadaire. 

In order to complete the new route, 
it now only remained to unite together 
the separate portions in a single ascent 
from St. Gervais. This was effected for 
the first time in 1861 by the Rev. Leslie 
Stephen and Mr. F. F. Tuckett, who 
reached the summit direct from St. Ger- 
vais on the 18th July, thus completing 
the undertaking commenced 76 years 
previously by Saussure and his com- 
panions. 

I. The Charnouni Route, From the 
hamlet of Pelerins, 2 m. from the 
Prieure, a path mounts rather steeply 
through a pine forest, and then over Al- 
pine pastures, keeping at some distance 
from the Glacier des Bossons, from 
which this part of the way is separated 
by a deep ravine often partly choked 
by the remains of the spring avalanches. 
Those who would spare their legs may 
ride for 2£ hrs. from Les Pelerins. On 
approaching the base of the Aiguille 
du Midi the way becomes rougher 
and steeper, and after passing beneath 
overhanging rocks which sometimes 
discharge volleys of stones across 
the track, the first halt is made at 
the Pierre a PJEchelle, 4\ hrs. from 
Charnouni, so called from this being 
the place where a ladder used in the 
ascent is commonly deposited. This 
commands a fine view of the upper 
level of the Glacier des Bossons, over 
which the way next lies. The upper 
part of the glacier is enclosed between 
inaccessible precipices, down which 
masses of ice are constantly hurled 



ROUTE G. CHAMOUNI ROUTE. 



213 



from the slopes of the Aiguille du Midi 
and the Mont Blanc du Tacul. On the 
opposite side rise the steep dark rocks 
of the Grands Mulets, well seen in 
all the views of this side of Mont 
Blanc, and even from the village of 
Chamouni. As it is not advisable to 
descend at once from the Pierre a 
l'Echelle to the glacier, the way lies 
for a short distance along the moraine, 
passing rapidly a spot where fragments 
of rock fall at intervals from the Aiguille 
du Midi. The Glacier des Bossons is 
always much crevassed, and it not 
seldom happens that the chief difficulty 
of the ascent is encountered here ; but 
with the help of a ladder and the 
practical skill of the guides the traveller 
is not called upon for more than a 
reasonable degree of steadiness in 
awkward places, which he should have 
acquired by some previous practice. 
The most difficult part is usually found 
on the farther side, where the ridge of 
the Grands Mulets being continued 
under the bed of the glacier, the ice is 
broken up into seracs, and intersected 
by crevasses of unusual width. After 
accomplishing the ascent to the upper 
level of the neve which feeds the 
Glacier de Taconnay, the traveller in 
2 , or 3 hrs. from the Pierre a 
l'Echelle reaches the Grands Mulets, 
where, near the top of the first pro- 
jecting mass of rock, a smalt hut 
(10,013 ; ) has been constructed for the 
convenience of those who pass here 
some part of the night. The beautiful 
chromo-lithographic plates of Mr. 
Coleman's 'Scenes from the Snow 
Fields ' give a lively impression of the 
scenery of the upper part of the 
Glacier des Bossons, and of the views 
from the Grands Mulets, and may 
suggest to many who may object to the 
labour and expense of the ascent of 
Mont Blanc the advantage of coming 
so far on the way, and spending a 
night on the Grands Mulets. The 
cabane cannot be recommended as a 
sleeping-place, as it is extremely limited 
in point of space, and the numerous 
fleas make up for long fasting by un- 



usual activity. It was formerly usual 
to start from hence about 2 hrs. be- 
fore daylight, but of late years, since 
the guides have become familiar with 
the route, the practice has been to 
commence the ascent to the summit at 
a still earlier hour, and several recent 
travellers have left the Grands Mulets 
about midnight. The advantage of 
this arrangement is that the snow is 
usually in better order, and the fatigue 
of the ascent proportionately diminished, 
and that by reaching the top earlier 
there is a better chance of a clear view ; 
but, on the other hand, the traveller loses 
some of the finest effects when he makes 
nearly the entire ascent by the faint 
light which the snow emits even on 
dark nights, and the cold is usually 
severely felt by those who reach the 
upper peak of the mountain soon after 
sunrise. More than half-way in the 
ascent from the Grands Mulets to 
the Grand Plateau is a nearly level 
and uniform field of neve called the 
Peliit Plateau, followed by a steeper 
slope traversed by a great crevasse, 
usually half choked witfli snow and ice, 
which leads to the Grand Plateau 
This is of considerable breadth, fully 
an hour's walk when the snow is soft. 
It lies immediately below the highest 
peak of Mont Blanc, between the Dome 
du Goute and the range of the Mont 
Maudit. Prom 3 to 4 hours are 
generally consumed in reaching this 
stage in the ascent from the Grands 
Mulets. Here, at a height of 12,900 ft., 
Messrs. Martins, Bravais, and Le Pileur 
pitched their tent in July 1844, and 
remained three days and nights engaged 
in scientific observations. Between the 
Grand Plateau and the summit is a 
range of steep rocks, the highest of 
any extent that are visible on the N. 
side of the mountain, called the Rockers 
Rouges, and the main difficulty of the 
ascent lies between the Plateau and the 
fields of neve above these rocks, which 
stretch without interruption to the 
summit. The earlier explorers followed 
a direct course to the rt. of the Kochers 
Rouges, but the ice-slope is steep, and 



214 



PENNINE ALPS. § 16. MONT BLAXC DISTRICT. 



traversed by great crevasses, so that 
after fresh snow this way is always 
dangerous; and it was here that Dr. 
Ham el's three guides perished. The 
safer but circuitous course, devised 
by Messrs. Fellowes and Hawes, which 
has been generally adopted ever since, 
lies considerably to the 1. of the 
Rochers Rouges, towards the depres- 
sion between the peak of Mont Blanc 
and the Mont Maudit, and reaches 
the summit of that depression through 
a rather steep channel or ravine filled | 
with snow, and called the Corridor. 
At the summit the traveller obtains the I 
first view of Italy, with Monte Rosa and 
the Matterhorn in the eastern horizon. 
The way now liei up a steep convex 
slope of hard neve, called the Mur de la 
Cote. Here it is usually necessary to 
resort to the tedious process of cutting j 
steps with the axe, until above the 
Rochers Rouges, where the modern 
route joins that by the so-called 'ancien 
passage,' the slope becomes more j 
gentle, and this is no longer requisite, j 
It is on this highest ridge of the 
mountain that most strangers, and not 
rarely some of the guides, show symp- 
toms of exhaustion. Even those who 
feel no more serious inconvenience 
move more slowly, and are conscious of 
a languor which is not felt under 
similar circumstances at a lower level.. 
In many cases the sense of exhaustion 
is such that men find it necessary to 
halt after every thirty or forty paces, 
and a certain degree of stupor comes 
on, which does not disappear till after 
they have rested for some time at the 
summit. In the last part of the ascent 
the calotte presents itself as a flattened 
dome of snow, gradually becoming 
steeper on either side, and at last con- 
tracted to a ridge. A group of rocks, 
which jut out through the snow, 
are called the Petits Mulets ; from 
thence to the top the ascent takes a 
time disproportioned to the short- 
ness of the distance and the gentle- 
ness of the slope, and the first feeling 
of those who are told that they have 



relief from a load of ungrateful labour, 
rather than any more keen sense of 
enjoyment. 

To describe the view, if that were 
possible, would little serve the traveller's 
purpose. His power of identifying the 
individual features of the immense pano- 
rama will depend upon his personal 
acquaintance with each district that 
comes within his range of vision ; and 
here he who has previously explored 
many parts of the Alps, and made many 
minor ascents, has an immense advan- 
tage over the new comer, who is simply 
bewildered by the enormous extent and 
complexity of the mountain ranges that 
are laid out before him, It is now 
generally admitted that, however in- 
teresting the almost boundless panorama 
maybe to one who has already acquired 
a good knowledge of the topography of 
the Alps, it is not equal in scenic effect 
to those obtained from many minor 
j peaks. 

j The time necessary to reach the sum- 
: mit from the Grand Plateau depends 
j mainly on the extent to which travellers 
are affected by the attenuated air of the 
j upper region, but cceteris paribus it may 
' be reckoned that the rte. by the Corri- 
dor involves a detour of from 1 to 2 
hrs. ; and when the snow is in good 
order, so as not to involve the risk of 
avalanches, there seems to be no good 
reason for not preferring the ancient 
and more direct route. Those who do not 
tarry long, and who commence the de- 
scent not" later than 10 or 11 A.M., may 
under ordinary circumstances easily re- 
turn to Chamouni on the same day, the 
time necessary varying according to the 
state of the crevasses from 6 to 8 hrs., 
exclusive of halts. 

2. The St. Gervais Boute. It has been 
already remarked, that the most obvious 
way of reaching the summit of Mont 
Blanc is by the ridge which connects 
it with the Aiguille du Gout^. Now 
that the way has been fully explored, 
it is probable that it will be frequently 
used. 

The NW. face of the Aiguille d u Goutc, 



reached the summit is generally that of I which is the only accessible way to the 



ROUTE G. — ST. 

summit, is formed by a number of very 
steep parallel ridges of rock, rising ver- 
tically, with couloirs of ice or frozen 
snow between them. One of these 
couloirs, broader and more continuous 
than the rest, stretches from near the 
summit to the Glacier de Bionnassay, 
which lies at the base of the ridge. 
None of the ridges of rock is practicable 
throughout from the base to the sum- 
mit, and the main objection to this route 
arises from the necessity for passing 
from one to the other across these cou- 
loirs, and more especially across the 
great central couloir. 0\ving i to the 
steepness of the slope and the hardness 
of the ice, this is in itself not easy; but, 
from the crumbling condition of the 
top of the ridge, stones are frequently 
detached, which shoot down these chan- 
nels with formidable velocity, and in 
hot weather, or after a storm, become a 
source of unavoidable risk, especially to 
the man engaged in cutting steps in the 
ice. The ascent may be made from St. 
Gervais, by way of Bionnassay and the 
N. bank of the glacier, or more easily 
from the inn above the Col de Voza. 
Turning to the S. a faintly marked path 
leads from the Pavilion de Bellevue 
along steep grass slopes, 'with a gradual 
ascent, as far as a ravine where Mont 
Lachat begins.' 'Ascending, and turn- 
ing a little to the rt. on the opposite side 
of the ravine, a path, whose existence 
would never be suspected from above or 
below, traverses the precipitous side of 
Mont Lachat, on the Bionnassay side, at 
a great height above the glacier. This 
leads out into a barren rocky region, 
which is crossed in nearly the same 
direction, till the rt. bank of the glacier 
descending from the base of the Aiguille 
is finally reached just above the part 
where it begins to be much crevassed. 
This glacier is then traversed, turning 
sharply to the L after the first ridge of 
rocks is passed, and keeping up the 
slopes or along the rocks, so as ulti- 
mately to reach a spot at some height 
above the rt. or 2s E. bank of the glacier, 
near to its origin, and immediately under 
the Aiguille da Goute.' 1 Here is the 



'. GERVAIS ROUTE. 215 

ruined cabane of M. Guichard, wdth 
a striking view of the Aiguille de 
Bionnassay on the opposite side of the 
glacier, and from this point begins the 
ascent of the actual Aiguille du Goute.' 
-[F. V. H.] 

The ruined cabane may be reached in 
4 hrs. from the Col de Voza, or in 6 hrs. 
from St. Gervais. The ascent of the 
Aiguille, under favourable conditions, 
may be accomplished in 2^- hrs., and it 
depends altogether upon circumstances 
whether this is merely an agreeable 
scramble, or an operation of some diffi- 
culty, involving a certain unavoidable 
amount of danger, when the couloir is 
crossed during the fall of stones from 
above. On the summit of the Aiguille 
du Goute (12,53d'), a small wooden 
cabane was erected by the St. Gervais 
guides a few years ago, with a view to 
facilitate the ascent. This, which is by 
many degrees the highest dwelling in 
Europe, is by no means snow-proof, and 
the floor is often coated with ice, so that 
those who mean to pass the night should 
bring ample covering, which should be 
partly waterproof. 

It "has been already explained that, 
although very steep on three sides, the 
Aiguille du Goute is connected by a 
continuous ridge with the Dome du 
Goute, and this with the summit of 
Mont Blanc through the Bosse du 
Dromadaire. In fine weather the pas- 
sage of this ridge presents no real diffi- 
culty, and it is not easy to point out any 
other route at nearly so great a height 
which involves so little labour either in 
ascending or descending. Fine weather 
is, however, an indispensable condiiion, 
as on this exposed ridge a moderate 
degree of wind is unbearable, and clouds 
gathered round the Dome du Goute 
may make it impossible to follow the 
true direction. This alone explains the 
fact that the completion of this route, 
though so long a matter of interest, was 
so long delayed. In the preceding 
pages it has been seen that the two 
courses here described as the Chamouni 
and St. Gervais routes are connected to- 
gether by the slope which leads from 



216 



PENNINE ALPS. § 16. MONT BLANC DISTRICT. 



the Grand Plateau to the Dome du 
Goute ; but. now that the direct way is 
better known, it may be assumed that 
no one in fine weather will think of 
taking any other from the Aiguille 
flu Goute to the top. In returning it is 
easy to vary the way by descending to 
Chamouni by the Grands Mulets. 

The advantages of the two routes are 
pretty equally balanced, and will be 
differently appreciated under different 
circumstances, and according to the taste 
of each traveller. On the St. Gervais 
route the most laborious and difficult 
part of the expedition is encountered on 
the first day, in reaching the summit of 
the Aiguille du Goute. The ascent 
from thence commands distant views, 
continually increasing in grandeur and 
extent, and the summit is reached, with- 
out fatigue, in 3^- to 4j hrs. By the 
Chamouni route the ice -scenery is far 
more striking, and the cabane at the 
Grands Mulets affords better shelter at 
night than that on the Aiguille du 
Goute. Probably the best arrangement 
is to go by the St. Gervais route, and 
return by the Grands Mulets; though 
late in the season, when the crevasses of 
the Glacier des Bossons present a far 
more serious obstacle than in the early 
summer, there is some risk of long delay 
in finding a passage across that glacier. 
The Chcimouni guides, who have now 
reduced their demand for the ascent by 
the direct route to 70 francs each, which 
includes the payment of such porters as 
xhey employ to carry necessaries to the 
Grands Mulets, require 100 francs each 
tor the St. Gervais route, and expect the 
traveller to pay the porters who are 
taken to the Aiguille du Goute. 



Route H. 

CHAMOCNI TO MARTI GNY. 

A large proportion of the strangers 
who visit Chamouni either go or return 
by way of Martigny, and have to choose 
between three routes very different in 
character, two of which are amongst 
those most frequented by ordinary tour- 



ists. In the Alps it is a great mistake 
to suppose that what is common is neces- 
sarily commonplace; and, in truth, the 
greater part of both the beaten tracks 
here described abound with interesting 
and pleasing scenery. A good walker, 
not bound for Martigny, may spend a 
day very agreeably, and combine the 
best portions of both routes, by going 
from Chamouni to the Tete Noire, and 
returning by the Col de Balme. He. 
would require a guide to find the direct 
way from the Tete Noire to the col. 
1. By the Col de Balme. 

Hrs.' walking Eng. miles 
Argentiere . . If S§ 
Col de Balme . . 2| 6 
Forclaz ... 2^ h\ 
Martigny . 2± 6 



23 



The village of Chamouni being 
nearly 2,000 ft. higher than Martigny, 
an average walker will employ fully 
9 hrSi, exclusive of halts, in making 
the pass from Martigny, while in the 
opposite direction 8 hrs. suffice. There 
is a char-road from Chamouni to Ar- 
gentiere. Charge for a guide from 
Martigny to the Col de Balme, 8 fr.; 
to Chamouni, 12 fr. The same charge 
is made for a horse or mule. For the 
Chamouni tariff, see Rte. A. By an 
arrangement professedly founded on 
mutual jealousy, but in reality upon a 
common desire to extract the largest 
practicable sum from the pockets of 
strangers, the Chamouni guides and 
mules do not go beyond Martigny, nor 
those of Martigny beyond Chamouni ; 
and as they are respectively forbidden to 
take travellers on the territory of the 
rival commune, no stranger can avail 
himself of return guides or mules. In 
fine weather a guide is quite unneces- 
sary to any one having a little expe- 
rience in mountain travelling, and 
except in clear weather, the route by 
the Tete Noire is in every way to be 
preferred. 

After leaving on the 1. hand, at 
about 2 m. from Chamouni, the path to 
the Flegere (Rte. A), the road to 
Argentiere mounts through a defile, 



ROUTE H. COL DE BALME. 



217 



traversing a fine forest wherein stands 
the hamlet of Tines ; a little farther on 
it crosses the Arve, and returns to the 
1. bank before reaching 

Argentiere (Inn: Bellevue, tolerable), 
near the lower end of the great glacier 
bearing the same name, the vast extent 
of which cannot, however, be guessed 
when it is merely seen from below. (See 
Rte. L.) Above Argentiere the valley 
is bare, the forests having been gradu- 
ally destroyed by storms and avalanches, 
and perhaps still more by the careless- 
ness of the inhabitants; but cultivation 
extends as far as the hamlet of Le Tour, 
2 m. beyond Argentiere, near the ter- 
mination of the Glacier du Tour, the 
most easterly of the great glaciers of 
Mont Blanc that flows into the valley 
of Chamouni. From hence the ascent 
to the col passing the chalets of Chara- 
millan is continuous, but nowhere 
steep, lying over grassy slopes and the 
debris of a black friable slate, a member 
of the carboniferous series, which fills 
the greater part of the trough between 
the crystalline range of Mont Blanc and 
that of the Aiguilles Rouges. The 
ridge which closes the NE. end of the 
valley of Chamouni is a prolongation of 
that separating the Glacier du Tour 
from the Glacier de Trient. NW. of 
the Col de Balme it rises into a peak of 
crumbling rock called the Croix de Fer, 
whereon M. Escher, of Zurich, was 
dashed to pieces by a fall over the pre- 
cipice when attempting the ascent in 
1791. 

On the summit of the Col de Balme 
(7,231') is a stone marking the bound- 
ary of the Valais and Savoy, and close 
to it a mountain inn, where refreshment 
and tolerable beds are supplied at rather 
high prices. The view from the col is 
justly celebrated, and in fine weather 
this route should always be preferred by 
those who approach Chamouni from the 
Valais, as the effect of the grand range 
of Mont Blanc seen from its nearest 
summit, the Aiguille du Tour, to the 
Aiguille du Goute, with the opposite 
mass of the Aiguilles Rouges, is en- 
hanced by the charm of surprise when 



it is suddenly unrolled before one who 
ascends from the narrow gorge of 
Trient. To the NE., over the Forclaz, 
the range of the Bernese Alps between 
the Diablerets and the Jungfrau forms 
a distinct portion of the panorama. It 
is worth while to ascend from the col to 
a point about \ hr. towards the NW., 
whence the view is still more extensive. 

Some travellers sleep at the Col de 
Balme for the sake of seeing the sun- 
rise, but the effect of sunset is pre- 
ferable, and it is quite possible to reach 
Chamouni on the same night. 

A pedestrian who does not fear to 
lengthen his day's walk by fully 2 hrs. 
may descend in 1^- hr. from the col to 
Valorsine on the route of the Tete 
Noire, and so combine on the way to 
Martigny the most interesting parts of 
both routes. 

The descent by the ordinary track 
from the Col de Balme to the village of 
Trient is much steeper than the ascent 
from Argentiere, but it has been so 
much improved that there is no risk in 
riding up or down. The chalets of 
Herbage res, nearly J hr. from the sum- 
mit, command a fine view of the Glacier 
de Trient, which closes the series of 
glaciers that drain the NW. flanks of 
the Mont Blanc range. The forest 
through which the steepest part of the 
descent is carried has been thinned and 
partly carried away by avalanches; at 
its base are some meadows where the 
track joins that from the Tete Noire, 
crosses the stream descending from the 
glacier, and bearing the same name, 
before reaching the wretched village of 
Trient, which has a very poor and dirty 
inn. The natural course to the valley 
of the Rhone would have been to follow 
the torrent of Trient to its junction 
with the main valley, and this is in 
truth the most interesting, though 
longer, route (see below}; the direct 
way crosses the low ridge E. of the 
village, and follows a nearly direct line 
down a lateral valley of the Dranse. 

The Forclaz pass, sometimes called 
Col de Trient (4,997'), is reached by a 
good path in J hr. from Trient. At the 



218 



PENNINE ALPS. § 1C. 



MONT BLANC DISTRICT. 



summit is a little inn, and here the 
authorities of the Canton Valais levy, or 
did levy, a toll upon all strangers on the 
discreditable pretext of a charge for the 
visa of passports, which are not required 
by the Federal government of Switzer- 
land. About \ hr. below the pass the 
track turns to the 1. and opens a vista 
of vast extent along the course of the 
Ehone from Martigny to beyond Sierre, 
and even to its source in the Rhone 
Glacier below the pass of the Furka. 
The uniform slope of the mountains on 
either side makes this and other views 
of the valley of the Rhone less interest- 
ing than they would otherwise be. The 
descent lies through a pleasant valley, 
tolerably well planted, and the change 
of climate is very marked on reaching 
the region of vines and chestnuts through 
which the path winds, till in if hr. 
(descending) it joins the main road of 
the valley of the L)ranse at Martigny 
le Bourg, and 1 m. farther, passing 
under an avenue of fine trees, reaches 
Martigny, called for distinction Mar- 
tigny la Ville (Inns : Hotel Clerc ; 
Grande Maison *, Le Cygne ; H. de la 
Tour), described in § 18, Rte. A. 
2. By the Tete Noire and Trient. 

Hrs.' walking Eng. miles 
Argentiere . If 5§ 
Tete Noire . 2£ 8 
Forclaz ... 1^ 3* 
Martigny . ^ 6 

7§ 5T 

Although somewhat longer than the 
rte. by the Col de Balme, this requires 
less time. About 7 J hrs. suffice when 
it is taken from Chamouni, and 8^ hrs. 
in the opposite direction. Including 
halts, mules take about 10 hrs. by either 
rte. Charge for a guide from Mar- 
tigny— 6 fr, to the Tete Noire ; 12 fr. 
to Chamouni ; 1 fr. extra for a visit to 
either the Barberine or the Poyaz water- 
fall. — The same charge for a horse or 
mule. 

A line drawn from near Servoz to 
Vernayaz in the valley of the Rhone, 
through the valley of the Dioza and the 
Yal Orsine, marks a depression parallel 
to that of the valley of Chamouni, from 



which it is separated by the range of the 
Aiguilles Rouges and the Brevent. X. 
of Argentiere this barrier subsides to a 
low ridge, traversed by a much fre- 
quented mule-path, which turns off 
close to the village, crosses the Arve, 
and ascends over rough ground past 
the hamlet of Trelechant to the summit 
called Les Montets (5,037')- After a 
slight descent, the head of the Val 
Orsine, sometimes called Valde Berard, 
opens on the 1. near the hamlet of Poyaz, 
and shows the snowy summit of the 
Buet. [A fine waterfall, the Cascade 
de Poyaz, may be reached in ^ hr. It 
lies near to the track through the Yal 
de Berard by which the ascent of the 
Buet is commonly made, and better 
deserves a visit than many of more 
celebrity. The Eau Noire here breaks 
through a mass of huge granite rocks 
piled together in the wildest confusion, 
and springs over a ledge 50 ft. in 
height into a dark basin. A small 
house has been built near the fall, 
where refreshments are ready to tempt 
the traveller.] 

An easy descent of 1 hr. leads from 
the summit toValorsine (no decent inn), 
the last village in Savoy, much exposed 
to avalanches. A massive stone bastion is 
raised to protect the village church from 
their destructive force. A little farther 
the track crosses to the rt. bank of the 
Eau Noire, near the junction of the Bar- 
berine torrent with that stream. [An- 

! other fine waterfall, called Cascade de la 

i Barberine, much higher, but less singu- 
lar than that of Poyaz, is often visited 
by travellers. It lies about -k hr. from 
the mule- track, and a comfortable little 
inn, Ala Cascade, has been opened at the 
point where the path leading to the fail 
turns off.] A traveller can have no 
difficulty in finding, in case of need, a 
local guide to show the way to either of 
the waterfalls above mentioned. The 

I defile of the Eau Noire through which 
the way now lies has been compared to 
the Yia Mala, but is perhaps more 
beautiful in its details, though on a less 
grand scale. It lies between the Gros 

I Perron and Bel Oiseau, which rise above 



ROUTE H, TETE NOIRE. 



219 



the 1. bank, and the Posettes, forming 
the N. extremity of the range of the 
Croix de Fer, on the rt. bank. A gate 
with the remains of a small redoubt 
marks the Swiss frontier, and some dis- 
tance farther on, nearly 1 hr. from Val- 
orsine, is a short tunnel, called La Roche 
Percee, through a projecting point of 
rock which nearly closes the defile. 
This is within 5 min. of the Tete Noire 
(3,917'), where are two small inns. That 
called Hotel de la Tete Noire is clean and 
well kept, and a day or two might be very 
pleasantly spent here in exploring the 
beautiful scenery of the neighbourhood. 

The junction of the Trient torrent 
with the Eau Noire is not seen from 
this rte., as the path turns out of the 
defile and enters the valley of Trient, 
carried nearly at a level, through a 
pine forest at a considerable height 
above the stream. The village of Trient 
is reached in f hr., the path from the 
Col de Balme being met on the 1. bank 
of the torrent, a short way from the 
bridge. The way to Martigny by the 
Forclaz has been already described. 

3. By the Tete Noire and Salvent. 

Hrs.' walking Eng. miles 
Tete Noire . A\ 131 
Trinquent . . 2 5 
Salvent ... 1 2| 
Martigny . U 

The glen of the Trient, which de- 
scends from the Tete Noire to Vernayaz 
in the valley of the lihone near Mar- 
tigny, offers a more interesting, but 
rather longer and more laborious way 
than that by the Forclaz. The path 
being rough is better fitted for foot- 
passengers than mules, but the way de- 
serves more notice than it has yet 
received from tourists. One who does 
not fear a long day's walk cannot ap- 
proach Chamouni better than by taking 
this way from Martigny to the Tete 
Noire, and then following a mountain 
path, for which he should secure a local 
guide, leading direct trom thence to the 
Col de Balme. This way would require 
from 10J to 11 hrs.' steady walking ex- 
clusive of halts. 



* On leaving the inn at Tete Noire 
the path to Salvent crosses to the 1. 
biink of the stream, and after passing a 
few r houses, ascends by a steep zigzag 
to a considerable height on the 1. side 
of the Val de Trient, overlooking the 
upper part of the valley, which, from 
the height to which the path ascends, 
looks like a narrow black trench, and 
the distant view of Mont Blanc filling 
up the depression in the side of the 
valley of Chamouni, through which 
the road of the Tete Noire passes, is 
also very fine. Curious examples of 
" glacier markings," interesting to the 
geologist, may be observed on the 
rocks of this valley. The path continues 
for a long time at nearly the same 
elevation, affording fine views of the 
valley of Trient, and skirting at times 
fearful precipices, at others running 
through smiling pasturages, and passes 
the villages of Finhaut, Trinquent, and 
Salvent ; beyond which it leaves the 
inaccessible gorge through which the 
Trient pours into the valley of the 
Rhone a little to the rt., and descends 
by a pretty little well-wooded valley 
upon the village of Vernayaz, 2 m. 
from Martigny. The scenery is very 
fine throughout, and the path well made, 
and may be found without a guide. 
Between Trinquent and Salvent a ro- 
mantic little bridge is passed, similar, 
and at least equal in beauty of situation 
to the Pantenbriicke in the Lint- thai. 
The auberge at Finhaut is a miserable 
place, and afforded nothing but wine 
and pain de seigle ; but the village 
itself is charmingly situated.' — [M.] 



Route I. 

CHAMOUNI TO ORSIERES, BY THE (XXL 
DE CHAMPEV. 

Mule-path, 14 hrs.' walking. 

This is a very interesting and agree- 
able route, far superior in scenery to 
that by Martigny, and it is surprising 



220 PENNINE ALPS. § 16. 

that it should not be more frequented 
by pedestrians. The entire distance is, 
however, rather much for a single day's 
walk, and it is better to sleep at the 
Tere Noire or the Col de Balme. 

Having reached the summit of the 
Forclaz by either of the ways described 
in the last Rte., the traveller takes a 
path to the rt. close to the little inn, 
and ascends gradually amid pastures 
and pine trees to a point between the 
chalets of La Giete and Bovine, com- 
manding a view similar in character 
but more extensive than that from the 
Forclaz. It reaches on one side to the | 
E. end of the Lake of Geneva, and ! 
includes a great part of the chain of 
the Bernese Alps. By mounting a 
little above the path the peak of the 
Grand Combin is brought into view. I 
At the chalets of Bovine 160 cows are 
kept during the summer. On leaving 
them the path winds round a corner of 
the mountain, turns to the rt., and 
descends by steep zigzags to cross a 
torrent by a plank bridge. The way 
then lies through meadows and pine 
forest, amid beautiful near scenery to 
the Col de Champey. The view here, 
overlooking the secluded Lac de 
Champey, fringed with pine forest, and 
backed by the noble peak of the Grand 
Combin, is extremely picturesque. The 
mass of the Mont Catogne separates the 
pass and the lake from the valley of the 
Dranse and the road of the Great St. 
Bernard, and the summit must com- 
mand one of the finest panoramic views 
in this part of the Alps. The Col is 
accessible from Bovernier between 
Martigny and Sembranchier (§ 18, 
Rte. A), so that it may be taken by a 
traveller going from Martigny to Or- 
sieres, though involving a detour of 
about 3 hrs. 

The descent from the lake is rapid, 
and soon leads to the char-road be- 
tween Orsieres and Issert (Rte. K). 
The descent may be made in 1 hr., but 
nearly 2 hrs. are required to reach the 
lake from Orsieres. 

The above notice is chiefly taken 
from the c Alpine Journal,' No. 1. 



MONT BLANC DISTPJCT. 



Route K. 

ORSIERES TO COURMATEUR, BY THE 
COL DE FERREX. 

Hrs.' walking Eng. miles 
La Foliaz . . 2§ 7 
Col de Ferrex . 2£ 5£ 
Praz Sec . . . 2± 5-i 
Courmayeur . 2 (i 

9 24 

The line of depression extending 
parallel to the crystalline range of Mont 
Blanc from the Col de la Seigne to 
Orsieres is partially interrupted by a 
ridge which connects the Mont Dolent 
with the minor range of carboniferous 
schists, whose principal summit is La 
Grande Kossere. Over this ridge lies 
the pass of the Col de Ferrex, or Ferret, 
practicable for mules, and frequented by 
those who make the tour of Mont 
Blanc, or who wish to take the shortest 
way from Martigny to Courmayeur. A 
second pass, nearer than the principal Col 
to Mont Blanc, and steeper but rather 
shorter, is called the Petit Ferrex. This 
is not much frequented by strangers, 
because the view of the Allee Blanche 
is inferior, and it is not passable for 
mules. The valley on the NE. side of 
the Col, lying in Swiss territory, and the 
portion of the Allee Blanche between 
the pass and Entreves, are both known 
by the name Val Ferrex. The view 
from the Col is in clear weather very 
interesting, but in other respects the 
scenery of this route is not quite equal 
to that of the other passes in the neigh- 
bourhood of Mont Blanc. 

Erom Orsieres the way to the Col lies 
on the L bank of the Dranse, soon 
reaching the junction of the Dranse de 
Ferrex with the Dranse d'Entremcnt, 
which descends from the Great St. 
Bernard. A char- road extends to the 
village of Issert, the chief place in the 
valley, rather over 2 m. from Orsieres, 
passing on the way the turn to Champey 
and Trient (Rte. I). The Swiss Vai 
Ferrex contains many hamlets, and 
appears fertile and well planted with 
fruit trees; but although it presents an 



ROUTE L. COL 

agreeable contrast to those who descend 
into it from the glaciers described in the 
following routes, the scenery is not of a 
striking character. The first hamlet 
is Praz-le-Fort, between which and 
Branche, about £ m. farther, the stream 
from the Glacier de Salena (Rte. M) 
joins the Dranse. Beyond Branche the 
two small glaciers of Vlanereuse and 
Trubzuc are seen hanging over the NW. 
side of the valley, and the path, which 
since Praz-le-Fort has kept to the rt. 
bank, mounts more rapidly toZa Foliaz, 
also called La Folie, a group of chalets, 
in one of which refreshments and beds 
may be procured. Nearly opposite, in 
the midst of a larch forest, is the open- 
ing of the Glacier de la Neuva(Rte. L). 
Nearly f hr. farther on are the Chalets 
de Ferrex, where it is said that rather 
better quarters are to be found than at 
La Foliaz. Here a track bears to the 
1. to the Col de la Fenetre, leading to 
the Great St. Bernard (§ 18. Rte. B), 
[The track to the Petit Ferrex keeps 
to the rt. from the mule-path, mounts 
by a steep declivity, called the Grapillon, 
and rejoins the main path at Pre du 
Bar.] The mule-path mounts over the 
remains of a great landslip, which in 
1776 covered the pastures of Banderai. 
The way here lies among jurassic lime- 
stone rocks, small patches of which, the 
remains of extensive deposits removed 
by denudation, are found overlying the 
carboniferous strata that surround the 
crystalline mass of Mont Blanc. 

The last part of the ascent is steep, 
and U- hr. from the Chalets de Ferrex 
is required to reach the Col de Ferrex 
(8,176'), a depression in the ridge 
connecting the Mont Dolent (12,566') 
with a summit which on the Pied- 
montese map is called Le Grand Goile 
(10,630'). The view extends along the 
Alice Blanche to the Col de la Seigne, 
and includes the series of glaciers 
which stream down the flanks of the 
Mont Blanc range, eight or nine of 
which are visible from this point, The 
Grandes Jorassts (13,496'), here pre- 
senting a very grand appearance, and 
the Geant, conceal the main peak, which 



d'argentiere. 221 

is not seen till more than half the 
descent has been accomplished. In the 
E. the Velar,, and to the NE. some 
peaks of the Bernese Alps, complete the 
view. 

The eastern portion of the Allee 
Blanche, or Piedmontese Val Ferrex, 
is far wilder and more rugged than the 
Swiss side of the pass. Avalanches 
and bergfalls have destroyed most of 
the timber and ruined pastures and 
chalets. One of the most considerable 
on record destroyed, in 1728, a group 
of chalets called Pre du Bar, near the 
base of the Glacier du Triolet. The 
track lies over soft slaty soil, in which 
the rains cut deep trenches, and for 
some distance is carried along the S. 
slope of the valley, at a great height 
above the torrent, passing a cross 
which serves to guide those who ap- 
proach the Col from Courmayeur. 
Several groups of very miserable look- 
ing chalets are passed. The chief of 
these are called Sagion, Praz Sec, and 
Plan Pansier. The latter lies on the 
rt. bank of the stream, but before 
reaching Entreves the path returns to 
the S. side of the valley, and passing 
under the Mont de la Saxe, reaches 
Courmayeur (Rte. B) in 4 hrs. from the 
Col. Nearly 5 hrs. are required when 
the ascent is made on the Piedmontese 
side. 



Route L. 

chamouni to orsieres, by the 
col d'argentiere. 

This is the highest pass which has yet 
been effected across the range of Mont 
Blanc, and one of the most difficult. The 
summit is easily reached from the Glacier 
of Argentiere, but the descent on the SW. 
side should be attempted only by prac- 
tised mountaineers. The pass was first 
discovered by Auguste Simond, and the 
summit was reached in 1860 by Messrs. 
Tuckett and Wigram, but the passage 
was first effected in the following year 
by Mr. Stephen Winkworth, accom- 



222 



PENNINE ALPS. § 16. 



MONT BLANC DISTRICT. 



panied by Augnste Simon d and his son 
Francois, and by Tobie Simond. The 
editor has been favoured with further 
particulars by Mr. A. A. Reilly, who 
crossed in 1862. 

The Glacier d'Argentiere, perhaps the 
greatest, and certainly one of the most 
beautiful glaciers of the Mont Blanc 
range, descends nearly at right angles 
to the valley of Chamouni, between the 
range extending from the Aiguille de 
Triolet through the Tour des Courtes 
(12,1190 and the Aig. Verte (13,4320 
to the Aig. du Dm (12,5000, and that 
which includes the Aig. de Chardonnet, 
the Aig. d'Argentiere (13,1860, and the 
Tour Noire. The head of the ice-valley 
bends somewhat to the S., while the 
way to the pass lies more nearly SE., 
across the ridge extending from the 
Tour Noire towards the Mont Dolent. 
The latter peak (12,5660, project- 
ing from the main range towards 
the Col de Ferrex, is apparently over- 
topped by many points in the interior 
part of the range enclosing the Glacier 
d'Argentiere. 

Mr. Winkworth ascended from La- 
vanchy to the Chalets de l'Ognon, 
where he passed the night. The path 
mounts to a point near the Chapeau, 
then bears to the 1., nearly all the way 
amid pine forest, till it reach an open 
space where it crosses a stream from the 
Glacier de la Pendant, lying on the N. 
flank of the Aiguille du Dru. The 
chalets lie near the NE. end of that 
glacier, at some height above the ice-fall 
of the Glacier d'Argentiere, and are not 
inhabited till the month of July. A path 
is carried for some distance from the 
chalets along the slope of the mountain, 
which is one of the buttresses of the 
Aiguille du Dru, and in consequence of 
the crevassed condition of the middle 
part of the Glacier d'Argentiere, it is 
not advisable to take to the ice until 
more than 1 hr. from the chalets, where 
a lateral branch from the NE. side of 
the Aiguille Verte joins the main stream. 
The last-mentioned magnificent peak 
here rises direct from the glacier basin, 
white to the summit, yet so steep that it 



is wonderful that snow or ice can cling 
to it. After crossing the branch from 
the Aiguille Verte, the traveller reaches 
the upper level of the glacier, which is 
of great extent, and surrounded on all 
sides by a barrier of precipices. The 
range between the Aiguille Verte and 
the Aig. de Triolet is, for the most part, 
bare rock, save where it is streaked by 
snow couloirs. On the opposite side, 
between the Aig. d'Argentiere and the 
Aig. de Chardonnet, is a lateral glacier, 
steep and crevassed, but perhaps not 
impassable, over which a pass may per- 
haps be made to the Glacier du Tour. 

' The ice-stream from the Col d'Ar- 
gentiere descends in a mass of irregular 
seracs, alternating with slopes of neve, 
from a snow-ridge guarded on the N. 
side by the Tour Noire, and to the S. 
by a similar peak which is joined to the 
Mont Dolent by a steep and serrated 
ridge. The stream is bounded on the 
L side (ascending) by a buttress of the 
Tour Noire, and on the rt. by two 
masses of rock which crop out from the 
glacier like the Grands and Petits 
Rognons.' — [A. A. R.] In ascending 
the traveller may choose between the 
ice, which is a good deal crevassed, and 
the rocks on the L, rich in crystals of 
brown quartz, which in some places 
keep up an irritating fire of small stones. 

The Col d'Argentiere, 12,556 ft.? in 
height, may be reached in 6 or 7 hrs. 
from the chalets. It commands a mag- 
nificent view towards the E., in which 
the Grand Combin, the Dent Blanche, 
and the Weisshorn are conspicuous. 
The slope on the Argentiere side of the 
Col is not very steep, but the sheer 
descent on the opposite or E. side is 
positively startling. Immediately below 
the Col is the couloir by which (as 
described in * Peaks, Passes, and 
Glaciers') Mr. Winkworth made the 
descent. To the I. of this is a project- 
ing spur of rock, between which and 
the Tour Noire, in a deep hollow not 
seen from the top, lies a small and very 
steep glacier. The descent by the 
couloir is often impracticable, and at all 
times difficult and rather dangerous. 



ROUTE M. — GLACIER DU TOUR. 



223 



Mr. Re illy and his companions effected 
a descent by the N. side of the spur of 
rock above mentioned, but found the 
glacier between it and the Tour Noire 
so difficult that they were forced to 
make a circuit round its head, immedi- 
ately under the precipitous rocks of the 
Tour Noire, not without considerable 
difficulty and some danger from falling 
rocks. He advises future travellers to 
keep along the ridge of the rocky spur 
till they have got below the more 
difficult part of the lateral glacier ; it is 
not, however, certain that fresh diffi- 
culties may not attend that course. 

The Glacier de la Neuva, which 
unites the several ice-streams descend- 
ing from this part of the range, flows 
about due E. towards the Swiss Val 
Ferrex. Its chief affluent lies to the N. 
in a recess of the range E. of the Tour 
Noire. At the head of this branch of 
the glacier is a tempting Col, which has 
been reached by some mountaineers 
seeking a pass to the Glacier d'Argen- 
tiere. It overlooks, however, the head 
of the Glacier de Salena, and the de- 
scent on the N. side did not appear 
practicable. 

The descent to the Val Ferrex must 
be completed by the long and wearisome 
moraine on the 1. bank of the Glacier 
de la Neuva, as the ice is much 
crevassed, and the Alpine pastures, 
which promise a more agreeable way, 
are cut off by precipices from the lower 
valley. The glacier and its moraine 
come to an end in a stony tract 
not far from the Yal Ferrex. Some 
trouble is experienced in crossing the 
impetuous torrent, which is the head of 
the Dranse de Ferrex, before reaching 
the chalets of La Foliaz (Rte. K). 

By taking this pass from La Foliaz a 
traveller would have the advantage of 
encountering all his troubles in the 
ascent, when, in case of need, the retreat 
is more easily effected. 



Route M. 

CHAMOUNI TO ORS1ERES, BY THE 
GLACIER DU TOUR. 

The Glacier du Tour, which is the 
easternmost of the great glaciers that 
flow into the valley of Chamouni, gives 
access to two considerable glaciers that 
descend to the Val Ferrex, each of which 
affords a practicable pass across the E. 
end of the Mont Blanc range. Its 
upper extremity has not, however, been 
thoroughly explored, and it is not 
known whether a direct pass to the 
Glacier of Salena may there be 
effected, nor whether the depression 
between the Aiguille de Chardonnet 
and that of Argentiere mentioned in 
the last Rte. is accessible on this side. 
The first recorded passage from the 
Glacier du Tour to that of Salena was 
made by Professor Forbes in IS 50, but 
the pass is said to have been discovered 
many years before by a native of Cha- 
mouni. The same pass was again 
made in 1857 by Mr. Alfred Wills, 
with two friends, accompanied by the 
late Auguste Balmat and Francois 
Cachat, as guides; and those who in- 
tend following the route will not fail to 
read the very interesting description 
given by Mr. Wilis in the first series of 
* Peaks. Passes, and Glaciers.' Though 
extremely interesting, the pass by the 
Glacier of Salena is both difficult and 
circuitous, and of late the descent 
to Orsieres has usually been effected by 
the much easier and more direct way of 
the Glacier d'Orny. A rough idea of 
the relative position of the four chief 
glaciers which occupy the upper valleys 
of the NE. end of the Mont Blanc 
range may be formed if we first fix our 
attention on a great plateau of neve 
lying E. of the Aiguille du Tour. This 
is drained by two glaciers which flow 
at rt. angles to each other — the Glacier 
du Trient descending N., and the Glacier 
d Orny to the E. The angle formed by 
these glaciers lies within another right 



224 



PENNINE ALPS. § 16. 



MONT BLANC DISTRICT. 



angle, formed by the glaciers of 
Tour and Salena ; but while the 
two first start from the same level, 
the upper part of the Glacier du 
Tour lies at a great height above the 
Glacier de Salena, and as yet no pass 
has been effected direct from the one to 
the other. S. of the Aiguille du Tour 
there is an opening in the ridge forming 
the E. boundary of the Glacier du Tour, 
and this gives easy access to the plateau 
at the head of the Glacier d'Orny, 
which at the same time affords the only 
means yet known for reaching from the 
N. the Salena Glacier, through the pass 
called the Fenetre de Salena. 

The Glacier du Tour is easily reached 
from the little inn on the Col deBalme. 
A short but steep ascent leads to the 
ridge which overlooks the E. bank, and 
on descending from thence to the side 
of the glacier it is possible to mount for 
j hr. along the rocks before taking to 
the ice. The whole middle region is 
much crevassed, the difficulties varying, 
as usual, with the season and with the 
condition of the snow, which usually 
covers all but the wider crevasses. Pro- 
fessor Forbes and Mr. Wills, in the 
passages above referred to, ascended the 
glacier fcr a considerable distance be- 
yond the Aiguille du Tour, nearly to 
the base of the Pointe des Plines ; but 
in a subsequent expedition Mr. Wills 
ascertained that it is a much easier and 
more direct course to pass through a gap 
immediately S. of the Aiguille du Tour, 
leading directly to the great plateau 
which forms the common source of the 
Glaciers of Trient and Orny. The 
direct course to Orsieres now lies due 
E., and on reaching the slightly convex 
summit of the plateau (11,213') a very 
fine distant view of the Bernese Alps 
gives an unexpected interest to the pass. 
The descent of the Glacier of Orny 
offers no unusual difficulties, and from 
its base a short glen leads to the Val 
Ferrex, at a point between Praz le Fort 
and Issert, about 4 m. from Orsieres. 
4 Time from the Col de Balme to 
Orsieres, 11 hrs.' — [A. M.] 

Longer and more difficult, but also 



more interesting, is the route by the 
Glacier of Salena. The S. end of the 
plateau already mentioned is fenced in 
by a shattered range of aiguilles, 
through which an extremely narrow 
opening, not more than 5 ft. wide and 
about 11,200 ft. in height, forms the 
pass. The scene exhibited from this 
singular point of view, which Mr. Wills 
has well named Fenetre de Salena, 
is remarkable, not for the distant view, 
for the Velan is the only high summit 
seen, but for the grand range of crags 
and aiguilles that enclose the head of 
the Glacier de Salena. The southern 
barrier includes a massive snowy peak, 
which Mr. Wills compares to the 
Gran des Jorasses, and which apparently 
has not been measured. At the E. end 
of the glacier basin is a range of dark 
crags, of which the highest summit is 
the Pointe des Plines (12,835'). Between 
these two masses the SW. angle of the 
glacier runs up into a deep recess ap- 
proaching the Aiguille d'Argentiere. 
This recess has not been examined, but 
may probably lead to a pass E. of that 
peak, and communicating with the head 
of the Glacier du Tour. The most re- 
markable portion of the view from the 
Fenetre is the range enclosing the 
N. side of the glacier, happily named 
by Professor Forbes Aiguilles Dorees. 
They consist of a succession of ruddy 
yellow pinnacles of great height, whose 
natural colour is enriched by their ex- 
posure to the full blaze of day, when the 
traveller is favoured by fine weather, and 
without which such a pass should not 
be attempted. Between the gaps of the 
range small tributary glaciers and ice 
couloirs stream down, and by contrast 
heighten the effect of the scene. 

A steep descent leads from the 
Fenetre to the upper level of the Glacier 
de Salena. This is separated from the 
long lower reach of the glacier, extend- 
ing nearly to the Yal Ferrex, by a great 
ice-fall, where, in the course of a rapid 
descent of about 1,500 ft., the glacier is 
compressed into a narrow channel be- 
tween a spur projecting from the base 
of the Aiguilles Dorees and the great 



§17. SIXT DISTRICT. 



225 



ran ore which walls it in on the S. Mr. 
Wills and his companions made the 
attempt to cross the ridge projecting 
from the Aiguilles Dorees, and descend 
its steep E. face along the L side of the 
glacier; but, although he does not con- 
sider this impossible, the lateness of the 
hour at which the attempt was made 
deterred them from persevering, and 
they followed the same course which 
had been taken by Professor Forbes, 
and has since been adopted by others. 
This lies on the rt. side of the ice-fall, 
and involves the descent of a very steep 
and high rocky slope, partly covered 
with rhododendron and other Alpine 
shrubs, whereon Mr. Wills and his party 
bivouacked. The objection to the pas- 
sage along this side of the valley lies in 
the presence of several small tributary 
glaciers overhanging the S. bank of the 
main glacier, which, especially during 
the afternoon, discharge blocks of stone 
of various sizes, in numbers sufficient to 
make the passage somewhat hazardous. 
On reaching the lower level of the 
glacier below the ice -tall, it is expedient 
to cross the glacier to its N. bank, 
whence a steep and long descent 
leads down to the Yal Ferrex. A 
barrier of pine-forest lies between the 
lower end of the glacier and the valley, 
and almost completely cuts off all view 
of the former from the neighbourhood of 
Praz le Fort, where the route joins the 
main track of the Val Ferrex (Rte. K). 



SECTION 17. 

SIXT DISTRICT. 

It has been remarked in the introduc- 
tion to § 12, that the limestone ridges 
lying between Chambery and the valley 
of the Arve form an extension to the 
SW. of the geological formations which 
characterise the .range of the Bernese 
Alps. The connection is orographicai 
as well as geological, and the range of 
the Dent du Midi, the Buet, and the 
■Eochers des Fys, supplies the link be- 



tween them. It will be observed, as 
something more than an accidental co- 
incidence, that a nearly continuous line 
of valley extends from Grenoble to the 
Rhone near Martigny, and nearly follows 
the line of separation between the secon- 
dary and the older rocks. This line of 
depression is marked by the Isere from 
Grenoble to Albertville, and by the Arly 
from thence to Megeve. Descending 
to the Arve, and partly following that 
stream to Servoz, it then mounts along 
the Dioza to the Col de Salenton, and, 
following the Eau Noire an.d the Trient, 
reaches the Rhone near Martigny. 

In the present section we include the 
chain of the Buet, above alluded to, and 
the mountain- district lying to the NW. 
between the Arve and the Lake of 
Geneva. The lower ridges, although 
occasionally parallel to the prin- 
cipal range, are for the most part very 
irregular in their form and direction — ■ 
a circumstance which, perhaps, con- 
tributes to the variety of scenery for 
which the district is remarkable. The 
valley of Sixt, lying W. of the Buet, is, 
for the mountaineer, the natural centre 
of the district It abounds in grand 
and beautiful scenery, but the accom- 
modation at Sixt is not yet worthy of 
the position. Much better quarters are 
found at Samoens, lower down in the 
valley. A good inn has been opened at 
Champery, near the base of the Dent du 
Midi (Rte. H), and is deservedly fre- 
quented, as it combines a fine position 
with the advantage of easy access by 
railroad, to Geneva, Sion, &c. The 
rugged range of the Dents d'Oche, near 
the E. end of the Lake of Geneva, de- 
serves more attention than it has re- 
ceived. The higher summits command 
noble views of the high Alps on one side, 
and of the Lake of Geneva on the other. 



Route A. 

GENEVA TO SIXT, BY TANNINGES. 

The valley of Sixt is accessible by a 
pret.y good carriage-road as far as Sa- 



226 



PENNINE ALPS. § 17. SIXT DISTRICT. 



moens, but the way from thence to Sixt 
is fitted rather for chars than heavy car- 
riages. There are two roads to Samoens, 
of which that by St. Jeoire should be 
preferred in going to Sixt, and that by 
Chatillon in returning from thence to 
Geneva. A more attractive way for the 
pedestrian is described in the next route. 
1. By St. Jeoire. 



Nangy 
St. Jeoire . 
Tanninges 
Samoens . 
Sixt . 



Kilometres Eng. miles 
. 15 9£ 
. 13 8 
. 14 8f 
. 14 8f 
. 8 5 



64 



39f 



The high-road from Geneva to Bonne- 
ville is followed to Nangy, where 
a road turning off to the L leads by 
Bonne to Thonon (Rte. K). A little 
beyond the village the road to St. Jeoire 
also turns to the 1., and gradually mounts 
over the rising ground separating the 
Arve from the Valley of the Foron. At 
Peillonnex a fine view is gained over 
the latter valley, and thence the way 
lies over an undulating plateau on the 
N. side of the Mole to La Tour, and 
about I J m. farther to 

St. Jeoire (Inn : La Couronne), a large 
village (1,886') on a tributary stream 
which soon joins the JRiche torrent. 
For the mule- track to Thonon, see 
Rte. K. In the opposite direction a 
char-road descends along the rt. bank 
of the Riche, passing its junction with 
the Giffre, to Marigny, and thence to 
Bonneville, a distance of 11 or 12 m. 
The road to Sixt crosses the Riche \ m. 
from the village, and keeping to the N. 
of the narrow gorge through which the 
Giffre escapes from its native valley, 
mounts to Mieussy, and then makes a 
considerable ascent, followed by a still 
longer descent, before reaching the little 
town of 

Tanninges (Inns : Balances ; Lion 
d'Or), a place of some local importance 
(2.21 1 7 ), picturesquely placed in view of 
the Buet, which remains the most con- 
spicuous object through the valley of the 
Giffre. Other secondary peaks come 
into view, and the scenery assumes 



gradually a more Alpine character as 
the traveller approaches 

Samoens (Inns : Croix d'Or, good ; 
Couronne ; Yille de Lyon). The firsr- 
named, commanding from its windows 
a fine view, is one of the best country 
inns in Savoy ; and this, together with 
the charming scenery of the neighbour- 
hood, may induce many to make this a 
stopping-place when the district becomes 
better known. Though not so well si- 
tuated as Sixt for mountain excursions, 
several interesting walks may be made 
from Samoens ; the waterfall of the 
Nant Dant, and the ascent of the Mont 
Greyou (8,49 7'), 5,^58 ft. above the vil- 
lage, are especially recommended. The 
view from the latter, besides the nearer 
the mountains, includes Mont Blanc and 
the Lake of Geneva. 

A short distance above Samoens the 
Giffre, descending from the valley of 
Sixt, forces its way through a 
narrow defile. At the entrance the 
picturesque chapel of Notre Dame de 
la Grace is seen on the 1. bank, while 
the road throughout the valley keeps to 
the rt. bank. At Tines masses of fallen 
rocks almost block up the passage, and 
when these are passed the fine peaks 
which enclose the valley of Sixt come 
successively into view. Rather less 
than 5 m. from Samoens is 

Sixt (Inns: H. du Fer-a-Cheval, 
landlady well-meaning, but the large 
house, once a convent, is ill kept, 
ill attended, noisy, and not clean ; 
Couronne ; Etoile), beautifully situated 
at 2,513 ft. above the sea. Few places 
in the Alps offer greater attractions to 
the mountaineer for the variety and 
beauty of the scenery in its immediate 
neighbourhood. Those who think of 
making their head-quarters here will 
not fail to read the agreeable volume by 
Mr. Alfred Wills, called ■ The Eagle's 
Nest,' principally devoted to this val- 
ley and the passes that give access to 
it. 

The guides here, who are not to be 
compared to the first-class men of 
Chamouni, are subject to local regula- 
tion, and have a tariff of charges rather 



ROUTE A. FER-A-CHEVAL. 



227 



lower than those of their neighbours. 
Thus the charge for the ascent of the Buet, 
returning to Sixt, is lOfr. ; to the Fer-a- 
Cheval, 2 fr. 50 c. ; to Chamouni, 15 fr. 
Moccand, a shoe-maker, and Andre 
Eannaud, as also Clement Gallet of 
Samoens, have been recommended as 
guides to the Buet. Letters intended \ 
for strangers at Sixt should be ad- 
dressed to the hotel, as if directed to the 
Poste Kestante they are retained at 
Samoens. 

A short distance below the village is 
the junction of the torrents, which flow 
through the two main branches of the 
valley. The stream called the Giffre 
Bas flows due W. from the grand amphi- 
theatre of precipitous peaks that en- 
close the main branch of the valley, 
called Vallee de la Combe. The Giffre 
Haut descends to the N.. from the Col 
d'Anterne, receiving one of its chief 
affluents through the Vallee des Fonds, 
which drains the W. slope of the Buet. 
The valley is especially famed for its 
waterfalls, and there are several that 
well deserve a visit which may be com- 
bined with some other excursion. 

Those who may not intend to cross 
any of the rather difficult passes com- 
municating with the head of the 
valley (see Etes. E and G) r should not 
fail to go so far as the Fer-a-Cheval, 
a spot that has a considerable re- 
semblance to the cirques, which are the 
peculiar characteristic of Pyrenean 
scenery. A char-road leads thither 
from the village, a distance of 4^ or 
5 m., passing the hamlets of Nant-Bride, 
where a village was destroyed by a 
bergfall in 1610, and the chapel of 
Entre-deux-Monts, where, by a similar 
calamity, 157 persons perished in 1602. 
Near Nant-Bride a fine waterfall called 
Cascade de Jordane is seen on the 
opposite slope of the valley, and that of 
the Gouille (worth a nearer visit) is 
passed on the rt. bank. The road 
crosses the main stream and many 
minor torrents before reaching the 
Fer-a-Cheval. This is a semicircular 
hollow, surrounded by precipitous walls 
of rock which are surmounted by a range 

Q 



of snow-seamed peaks. The highest of 
these, seen on the 1., is the Pointe de 
Tenneverges; the point seen to the rt. is 
called Tete Noire. A series of waterfalls, 
issuing from the small glaciers that lie 
in the depressions of the ridge, descend 
the face of the precipice and add to the 
singularity of the scene. Above the 
first range of precipices, on a shelf of 
the mountain range scarcely noticed 
from below, are Alpine pastures belong- 
ing to the valley of Sixt, but so difficult 
of access on this side that they have 
been leased to the Swiss shepherds of 
the valley of Trient. Beyond the Fer- 
a-Cheval the Vallee de la Combe ex- 
tends for about 4 m. to the NE., enclosed 
between rugged and precipitous moun- 
tains, and leads to the passes described 
in Rte. G. The hay which is cut on 
the ledges of these mountains, often 
reached by a perilous climb, is com- 
monly made up in a bundle and rolled 
over the precipice to be gathered anew 
on the lower slope, where it may thus be 
lodged. 

Those who may not wish to under- 
take the rather laborious ascent of the 
Buet are advised to make that of the 
Vaudru, NE. of Sixt, 8,714 ft. in 
height, easily reached in 4 hrs. from the 
village. After reaching the chalets of 
Salvador at the head of a tributary glen 
of the Giffre, the path zigzags up the 
mountain towards the N., keeping well 
to the rt. where the track becomes 
obscure. A guide is scarcely needed. 
The view towards Mont Blanc is neces- 
sarily restricted by the intervening 
range of the Buet. 

The ascent of the Buet rs described 
in Rte. and most of the other ex- 
cursions usually made from Sixt are 
noticed in the other following Rtes. 
The Vallee des Fonds (Rte. D), the 
Cascade de Roget (Rte. C), and the 
Lac de Gers (Rte. B), all deserve a 
visit. The latter may be reached in 2 
hrs. from Sixt,- by a steep and rather 
difficult way, considerably shorter than 
the mule-track. 

2. By Bonneville and Chatillon. This 
road, though a little longer than that 
2 



228 



PENNINE ALPS. § 17. SIXT DISTRICT. 



by St. Jeoire, is that followed by the 
post-carriage which plies from Geneva 
to Samoens on Tuesdays, Thursdays, 
and Saturdays, returning on the alter- 
nate days. 



Eng. miles 

10* 
13| 



Bonneville 
Tanninges 
Sixt . 



Kilometres 
. 2H 
. 16 
. 22 

66 



The road to Bonneville is described 
in § 16, Rte. A. A gentle ascent along 
the S. base of the Mole leads from thence 
by Ayse to Marigny on the Giffre, about 
2 m. above its junction witb the Arve. 
There is a road hence along the rt. 
bank which joins that leading from 
St. Jeoire to Tanninges, close to the 
former village, but this involves a great 
detour. The direct way crosses the 
Giffre, and ascends diagonally the low 
ridge between Tanninges and the Arve, 
crowned by the village of Chatillon, 
nearly 8 m. from Bonneville. Near the 
top another road, leading from Cluses to 
Tanninges, joins that from Bonneville. 
The summit of the ridge commands a 
fine view of the range S. of the Arve, 
extending the whole length of the valley 
of the Reposoir, § 12, Rte. D. The 
descent to Tanninges, little more than 
2 m., is rather rapid till the road reaches 
a bridge over the Giffre, f m. from the 
town. For the sake of the fine view 
from the ridge, this route should be pre- 
ferred in going from Sixt to Geneva. 
For pedestrians a more agreeable way 
from Chatillon to Sixt lies on the 1. bank 
of the Giffre, passing the pretty village 
of Morillon. A curious semicircular 
wooden bridge crosses the river about 
^m. from Samoens, which is ? thus reached 
in &§ hrs. from Chatillon. 



Route B. 

GENEVA TO SIXT, BY CLUSES OR 
ST. MARTIX. 

The lofty range of limestone sepa- 
rating the valley of the Giffre from 



that of the Arve, forms at the sum- 
mit an undulating plateau dotted 
with small lakes, and surmounted by 
higher peaks, for the most part bold 
and rugged in form, while on both 
sides the ascent to the plateau is rapid 
and somewhat difficult. The scenery 
of the tract traversed by the three paths 
mentioned below is rather singular than 
beautiful, but to a mountaineer this is 
perhaps the most desirable route for 
approaching Sixt. 

1. By Cluses, and tlie Col oVArberon. 
Having followed the high-road from 
Geneva to Sallanches as far as Magland 
(§ 1 6, Rte. A), a path is taken to the 1. 
which mounts by the foot of the rocks to 
a hollow way called Creux de l'Arche. 
Here the track divides. One path, to 
the 1., leads to the villages of Pernan 
and Arrache. The other, leading to the 
Col oVArberon, mounts to the rt. in zig- 
zags, through pine trees, to the village 
of Colonnaz. Extensive pine woods, 
now partly felled, extend thence to the 
col (4,9 8 7'), which lies but a short dis- 
tance from the Lac de Flaine, a pic- 
turesque lake backed by some of the 
higher peaks of the range, which is 
drained by a subterranean outlet. Not 
far from the lake are the chalets of the 
same name. The direct way to Sixt 
lies ENE. to the Lac de Gers, about 
2 J hrs., and the same direction is fol- 
lowed throughout the very beautiful 
descent to Sixt, in all about hrs. 
from Cluses. By a slight detour the 
Gieta, a rounded summit of no great 
height, but commanding a beautiful view, 
may be easily reached. It lies 1. of the 
bridle-path leading from the lake to Sixt. 

2. By St. Martin. The easiest way 
from St. Martin to Sixt is to follow 
the high-road towards Cluses till it 
has passed the Nant oTArpenaz (§ 16, 
Rte. A). Here a path mounts to 
the E. to the hamlet of Velu, and 
reaches a shoulder of the mountain, 
whence is seen, on the opposite side 
of the gorge, the village of Colonnaz. 
Avoiding the path which descends 
thither, a path to the rt. leads nearly 
direct to the Lac de Flaine, and the 



ROUTE C. LA PORTETTE. 



229 



chalets of the same name where this path 
joins that from Cruses. 

A more interesting and steeper way 
mounts by JRelinges and Preilioz to the 
chalets of Yange, about 1 hr. 10 min. 
from St. Martin. Here a path turns to 
the rt., ascending through the Vallon de 
Haon, above the torrent which enters 
the valley of the Arve by the Cascade 
d'Arpenaz. An ascent of 40 min. 
through a pine forest leads to the cha- 
lets of Veran (vers Haon ?), surrounded 
by an amphitheatre of steep rocks, from 
whioh the only exit is by a difficult 
climb through a sort of chimney, leading 
to the Alpine pastures of Monthieu. 
These terminate in the Col de Monthieu, 
between the Croix de Fer on the L, and 
the Colone on the rt. These eminences 
form the outer margin of the Desert de 
Platei, a very extensive plateau of nearly 
bare rock, traversed by parallel fissures 
recalling the appearance of glacier 
crevasses. From the Col it is easy to 
ascend the Croix de Fer (7,513'), which 
may also be reached from the Chalets de 
Flaine. The eocene limestone abounds 
in fossil shells. The Desert de Platei 
extends E. from the Col de Monthieu to 
the Pointe du Griffon, and the Pointe de 
Suites (10,4330, and towards the S. to 
the Degres de Platei and the Aiguille 
de Veran (8,857'). Tne ascent of the 
latter is occasionally made for the sake 
of the remarkable panorama. The Pointe 
de Salles is said to have a signal on the 
top, but no account of the ascent has 
come to the knowledge of the editor. 
Being rather higher than the Buet, and 
at least equally well situated, the ex- 
pedition well deserves the attention of 
mountaineers, A lower peak, which may 
be taken in the day's walk from St. 
Martin to Sixt, is the Pointe de Pelouze 
(8,1 53'). To reach Sixt from the Desert 
a guide is necessary. One way is to 
descend to the Lac de Flaine, and from 
thence follow the route already noticed. 
Another way, more direct but steeper, 
descends by the Chalets de Salles, stand- 
ing at the head of a short lateral valley, 
Yallon de Salles — a tributary of the 
GirTre Haut. Several picturesque water- 



falls are passed in the descent from the 
chalets to Sixt, a walk of 2^ hrs. (See 
Rte. C.) 

3. By Passy and La Portette. From 
the village of Passy, about equidistant 
between Sallanches, St. Gervais, and 
Servoz, there lies a route to Sixt which 
is very rarely used by strangers, but is 
described as more striking than that of 
the Gemmi. A path mounts from the 
village through the wooded glen of 
Plane Joux to the base of a range of 
seemingly inaccessible precipices, up 
which it has been carried by the industry 
of the natives. It is in reality quite safe, 
but, especially in descending, the ap- 
pearance of the precipices is somewhat 
formidable. Nearly 3 hrs. from Passy 
are required to reach the summit of the 
steep ascent, near to which stand the 
Chalets of Platei. Those who may be 
induced to make the ascent without 
intending to reach Sixt may, with a 
guide, return to Sallanches by way of 
the Lac de Flaine, taking in the way the 
summit of the Croix de Fer. From the 
chalets the way to Sixt mounts to the 
NE. in about J hr. by slopes of debris 
to La Portette, a notch in the ridge 
connecting the Rochers des Fys with the 
Aiguille de Veran. The view from the 
Col, commanding the Desert de Platei 
on the one side, and the valley of the 
Arve on the other, is very remarkable. 
After crossing the limestone plateau, a 
rather steep descent leads to the Chalets 
de Salles, from whence Sixt is easily 
reached in 2^ hrs. by a path passing 
near three waterfalls, and in the midst 
of much beautiful scenery. 



Route C. 

SIXT TO CHAMOUNI, BY SERVOZ. 

If an increasing number of travellers 
should be induced to take the valley of 
Sixt on their way from Geneva or the 
Yalais to Chamouni, the passes from 
Sixt to Chamouni will become more and 
more frequented. At present the only 
pass commonly traversed is that of the 



230 



PENNINE ALPS. § 17. SIXT DISTRICT. 



Col d'Anterne, practicable for mules, 
leading to Servoz, on the road from 
Geneva to Chamouni, 10 m. from the 
latter place (§ 16, Rte. A). Some 
mountaineers take a more direct course 
by "the Buet — 14 hrs., or the Brevent — 
nearly 12 hrs. There are, however, seve- 
ral other passes, referred to in this and 
the following Rtes., which deserve the 
attention of future travellers. It may 
be truly said that, although no spot 
in the High Alps has been so long 
known and visited as Chamouni, it is 
but quite recently that effectual efforts 
have been made to explore the surround- 
ing districts. 

1. By the Col d'Anterne. About 8 
hrs.' steady walking to Servoz. To gain 
the valley leading to the eol the mule- 
path crosses the GifTre Bas, opposite the 
village of Sixt, mounts to the village 
of Salvagny, and thence reaches the 
GifTre Haut at the Pont de Salles, by 
which it attains the 1. bank. A walk of 
1 hr. leads to the Cascade de Roget, the 
finest of those in this district famed for 
its waterfalls. About hr. farther, 
another pretty cascade, called La Pleu- 
reuse, falls close to the opening of the 
Yallon de Salles, leading to La Portette 
(Rte. B). The mule-path turns sharply to 
the L, and the ascent continues through 
the wooded glen of the GifTre Haut 
along the E. base of the Pointe de 
Salles. As the track rises above the 
forests the scenery becomes constantly 
wilder, though still beautiful. The bare 
summits of the Rochers des Fys come 
gradually into view. From an emi- 
nence to the 1. of the track there is a 
fine view of the Buet and of the Vallee 
des Ponds. More than 3^ hrs. are re- 
quired to reach the chalets d'Anterne, 
inhabited during the summer by women, 
children, and pigs. In crossing the pass 
hence to Servoz the track traverses in 
succession the cretaceous, jurassic,liassic 
and palaeozoic formations, and the geo- 
logist will be pleased to find fossils in 
greater abundance than is usual in the 
High Alps. About f hr. above the 
chalets the track passes along the E. 
side of the Lac dAnterne (6,80s 7 ), and 



an equal distance, but rather less ascent, 
leads to the Col dAnterne (7,612' ?), 
commanding a noble view of Mont 
Blanc. 

[A longer and rougher path, passing 
through still more beautiful scenery, is 
recommended by Mr. Wills to pedes- 
trians from Sixt. It lies through the 
Vallee des Fonds, from the head of 
which the chalets d'Anterne are reached 
by the Montagne des Grasses Chevres.] 

The descent to Servoz lies in part 
over a vast pile of debris, the remaining 
evidence of the fall of one of the crags 
of the Rochers des Fys, and then passes 
the chalets of Ayers and the hamlet of 
Le Mont, reaching Servoz in 3 hrs. 
from the col. In fine weather the 
mountaineer will not require a guide. 

2. By the Col du Derochoir. 9 hrs.' 
walking. 

This rte. is rather more direct, but 
much steeper and more difficult, than that 
of the Col d'Anterne. The way lies for 
about 2 J hrs. by the mule-track lead- 
ing to that pass. The path leading 
to the Vallon de Salles keeps to 
the rt., near La Pleureuse, and in 
about ^ hr. mounts to the Chalets de 
Salles. Here the track to La Portette 
(Rte. B) mounts SW., while that lead- 
ing to Servoz turns due S., passing 
immediately below the peak of the 
Pointe de Salles. A long and steep 
ascent is necessary to reach the Col du 
Derochoir, a point in the ridge of the 
Rochers des Fys, whence it is possible 
to descend to Servoz, which is reached 
in 3j hrs. by a steep and difficult path. 
This pass should not be attempted with- 
out a guide. Further information is 
desired. 



Route D. 

SIXT TO CHAMOUNI — ASCENT OF THE 
BDET. 

Most mountaineers who visit Sixt 
and Chamouni make the ascent of the 
Buet a portion of their plan, and it is 
now often taken in the way between 



ROUTE D. — ASCENT OF THE BUET. 



231 



those places. The ascent, considering 
its height, is very easy, and a single 
guide suffices for a party of several 
travellers moderately used to mountain 
expeditions ; but in passing the glacier 
near the top it is not advisable to neglect 
the rope. 

To reach Chamouni from Sixt by the 
summit of the Buet involves a long and 
hard day's work of 14 hrs., which may. 
however, be abridged by passing the 
night at the Chalets des Fonds, nearly 2 
hrs. above Sixt. In taking the way by the 
Col de l'Echaud there is this advantage, 
that if the weather should appear un- 
favourable for the ascent, the traveller 
may without loss of time continue his 
route to Chamouni, either by the 
Brevent or by Servoz. 

In the opinion of competent judges 
the Vallee des Fonds, drained by 
the Petit Giffre, an eastern branch of 
the Giffre Haut, is the most beauti- 
ful of all the Alpine glens surrounding 
Sixt. It is reached by way of Salvagny, 
a little beyond which village a path 
bears to the L, mounting in great part 
under the shade of pine forest to the 
Chalets des Fonds, where it is advisable 
to pass the night before making the 
ascent of the Buet. The preceding 
afternoon may be well spent in rambling 
about the beautiful neighbourhood of 
the chalets, where the Point de Salles 
forms a remarkable feature in the land- 
scape." Prom hence two ways are 
taken to the summit. The more direct 
lies by an Alpine pasture called Beaux 
Pres, and then by steep ledges of lime- 
stone rock until it reaches the highest 
point by a rather steep glacier (de 
Lebaud ?). 4j hrs.' steady climbing 
from the chalets suffice to reach the 
top by this route. The other more 
frequented way mounts by a much less 
difficult path in 3j hrs. to the Col de 
VEchaud (8,058'), connecting the Vallee 
des Fonds with that of the Dioza, and 
from thence gains the summit by rapid 
slopes of slaty rock intermixed with 
patches of snow, in about 2| hrs. 

The beauty and grandeur of the 
panorama from the Buet can scarcely 



i be exaggerated. Now that the chain 
of the Alps has been more fully explored 
than was the case a few years back, 
several other points may be named 
which must be admitted as rivals, but 
there are very few that can claim 
superior attractions. The height of 
the summit, 10,207 ft., raises it above 
the nearer ranges, yet leaves in full 
grandeur the great mass of Mont Blanc, 
rising more than 5,000 ft. above the 
level of the spectator. To a moun- 
taineer who approaches Mont Blanc 
from the N., the ascent of the Buet 
from Sixt has the great advantage of 
giving him at once the most complete 
general view of the entire range, 
and if time, weather, and good legs 
enable him to wind up the day by 
descending to Chamouni over the 
Brevent, which cuts off from the Buet 
the lower zone of the great mountain, 
he will be able to fill up the details of 
a picture that will remain ineffaceably 
impressed on his memory. 

The easiest way for descending from 
the Buet, and that by which the ascent 
is most commonly made from Chamouni, 
is by the SE. side, partly over snow 
and in part along ridges of calcareous 
rock. After descending about 1,800 ft. 
the traveller reaches a curious rock, 
naturally broken into ledges which 
form convenient seats, called Table au 
Chantre. Half an hr. below this, and 
less than 2 hrs. from the summit (3 hrs. 
ascending), is the Pierre a Berard 
(7,498'), a huge detached rock, under 
which travellers formerly bivouacked. 
A little chalet inn has been opened 
here for the convenience of those 
ascending from Chamouni. Complaints 
have been made of extortionate charges. 
From hence a mule-path is carried 
down the side of the mountain till, 
after passing a grove of larches, it 
reaches a little grassy plain. Lower 
down the track lies amidst huge blocks 
of protogine, and finally gains the 
valley of the Eau Noire, sometimes 
called Val de Berard, passing the 
hamlet of Couteraie, near to the 
Cascade de Poyaz, and joining the 



232 



PENNINE ALPS. § 17. SIXT DISTRICT. 



frequented track from Chamouni to the 
Tete Noire a short way above Valorsine 
(§ 16, Rte. H). The point here reached 
is nearly 4j hrs. from the summit (6^- 
hrs. are required for the ascent), and 
the traveller may find very fair quarters 
for the night at the little inn where the 
path to the Cascade de la Barberine 
turns off a short distance below Val- 
orsine. In the opposite direction Argen- 
tine may be reached in I5- hr., and 
Chamouni in 3 hrs.' steady walking. 

Besides the two ridges already 
spoken of, leading to the summit of 
the Buet, a third descends about due 
S., and connects together the nearly 
parallel ranges of the Aiguilles Rouges 
with that extending from the Rochers 
des Fys to the Dent du Midi. In so 
doing the same ridge divides the waters 
which flow through the Dioza SW. to 
Servoz from those that run NB. through 
the Yal de Berard to the Trient. 
There is no difficulty in descending 
along this ridge to the Col de Salenton 
( 8,160') leading from Servoz toValorsine. 
This is reached in 1| hr. from the 
summit (2j hrs. are required for the 
ascent), and 1 hr. more suffices to 
reach the Chalets de Villi/, the highest 
in the valley of the Dioza (6,07 6 r ), 
where persons ascending from this side j 
find tolerable accommodation for the 
night. It is, however, necessary to 
take provisions. 

There are two paths from Villy 
to Servoz, both keeping to the rt. 
of the Dioza torrent. The more 
direct way, passable for mules between 
Servoz and the Col de Salenton, is by 
the Chalets de Moede. 3 J hrs. suffice 
for the descent to Servoz, and 4j hrs. 
for the ascent. The other path, about 
\ hr. longer, passes by the Lac de 
Pormenaz. 

In fine weather, the most interesting 
route from the Buet to Chamouni is to 
follow a faintly-marked path about due 
S. from the Chalets de Villy to the 
ridge of the Brevent, and so combine 
in a single day's walk the two finest 
views of the range of Mont Blanc. It 
is not necessary to gain the highest 



point of the Brevent, as the view i 
nearly as complete from a point in the 
ridge nearer to Planpraz (see § 16, 
Rte. A), which is easily reached in 
3 hrs. from Villy, or 5| hrs. from th 
Buet. In little more than J hr. th 
traveller may descend to the little in 
at Planpraz, where, if he be tired o 
belated, he will find refreshment an 
very fair quarters for the night, or els 
may reach Chamouni in 2 hrs. 

Travellers who may be deterred b 
uncertain weather or any other cause 
from making the ascent of the Buet, 
after attaining the Col de l'Echaud, 
may descend to Villy in less than 
1 hr., and either gain Servoz by the 
Chalets de Moede, or Chamouni by the 
Brevent, or else reach Valorsine in 
3^ hrs. from the Col de Salenton, that 
pass being about 2j hrs. from the Coi 
de l'Echaud. 1 1 descended for a con- 
siderable way with a stream on my 1., 
when I crossed it and kept it on my rt. 
until I arrived at a wooden bridge, 
after which the path is evident to 
Valorsine.'— [J. G.] 

The torrent of the Dioza flows in 
great part amidst carboniferous rocks, 
lying between the crystalline mass of 
the Brevent and the jurassic strata that 
extend SW. from the Buet to the Col 
d'Anterne. The trias and lias are re- 
presented by two comparatively thin 
bands, whose outcrop is on the steep 
NW. declivity of the valley. Near the 
junction of the carboniferous strata 
with the trias, fossil remains of plants 
are abundant. Mr. Wills, guided by 
Auguste Balmat, found unusually fine 
specimens on the slopes above the 
Chalets de Moede. 



Route E. 

SIXT TO MARTIGNT, BY SALVENT. 

Few portions of the Alps have been 
so imperfectly explored as the chain 
between the Buet and the Dent du 
Midi, and the writer has some difficulty 
in reconciling the incomplete notices 



ROUTE E. SIXT TO MARTIGNY. 



233 



which have reached him from various 
sources. The principal summits, all 
formed of jurassic limestone, form a 
range parallel to the two principal val- 
leys that enclose it on either side — the 
Val d'liliez, and the Val du Trient. 
Several tributary glens descend nearly 
due E. from this range. One of these is 
traversed by the Salanfe, or Salense tor- 
rent, and joins the Rhone near Vernayaz ; 
the next descends from the Chalets 
d'Emaney to join the Trient at Trin- 
quent; while a third, bending S. of E. 
is traversed by the Barberine torrent, 
which joins the Eau Noire — the true 
source of the Trient — below Yalorsine 
(§ 16, Rte. H). 

The least difficult way from Sixt to 
Martigny lies by the slopes of the Tete- 
Noire, which is the prominent summit 
at the centre of the amphitheatre of the 
Fer-a-Cheval. Though appearing very 
steep, it is said that the ascent is not 
difficult. Behind the Tete Noire the 
track traverses the ridge of the Gre- 
nairon, and then descends to the 
Chalets des Vieux Emoussons — about 
7 J hrs. from Sixt. One hr. lower down 
are the Chalets des Jeunes Emoussons, 
and about as much farther the track, 
passing the Cascade de la B<irberine, 
reaches the inn near the junction of 
that torrent with the Eau Noire. In 
default of a recognized name, we shall 
call this pass Col de Grenairon ; its 
height is probably about 8,500 ft. If it 
be true that 9j hrs. are required to 
reach the Barberine inn, the day's walk 
from Sixt to Martigny would be very 
long, not less than 13 hrs., exclusive of 
halts. Chamouni may be reached in 
about J hr. more. 

A much more difficult and rarely 
used Wiiy from Sixt to Martigny is by 
the Col de Tenneuerges, known to but 
few of the Sixt guides. According to 
Joanne, the way lies from the Fer-a- 
Cheval by the waterfall of Pane (Pas 
Noir), at the base of the Pic de Ten- 
neverges, and climbs along the very 
steep S. face of that peak, exposed to 
the fall of stones which are frequently 
detached from the face of the mountain. 



On the E. side the descent from the 
Col passes beside the Glacier de Bar- 
berine, which is the source of the 
torrent bearing that name, and joins 
the first-mentioned route at the Chalets 
of Emoussons. 

The editor has been favoured with 
an account of this pas?, or else of 
another still nearer to the Pic de 
Tenne verges, by Major J. Greenwood, 
who made the passage from Salvent to 
Sixt in August, 1847. 

Turning N. from Salvent, Mr. Green- 
wood reached in 1 hr. the stream 
of the Salanfe, and crossing to the 
1. bank, gained in 2^ hrs. more the 
chalet at the head of the valley (pro- 
bably that of Salanfe). Starring at 
5.45 on the following morning, he 
reached in 1 hr. 4 the summit of the first 
col' (Col d'Emaney), and in lj hr. 
farther a stone chalet at the head of 
the Emaney torrent. 

* Soon after leaving the chalet, I 
came in sight of a huge and steeply 
inclined glacier, running up towards 
the foot of a precipice, probably about 
2,000 ft. high, towards my left. So 
wild a scene I never witnessed in any 
part of the Alps.' The ascent lay by 
an inclined plain of rock and debris 
lying on one side of the glacier, by 
which it is possible to achieve three- 
fourths of the ascent. This terminates 
against the face of the precipice, and 
here it is necessary to climb about 15 
yards along the face of the rocks, at a 
vast height above the glacier, bearing 
to the rt. till a steep bank of debris is 
reached, which comes abruptly to an 
end at the edge of the precipice. The 
stiff climb from the highest chalet to 
the summit of the col required 1 hr. 
and 40 min. The descent on the Sixt 
side was by a stair-like track, which led 
in 1^ hr. to some huts, and \^ hr. more 
were required to reach the level of the 
valley of Sixt. 

To judge from the most recent 
maps, it is necessary to cross a pass, 
called Col de Barberine, in order to 
approach the Col de Tenne verges from 
the head of the glen of Emaney, and 



234 



PENNINE ALPS. § 17. SIXT DISTRICT. 



if so, the above must be a different 
pass from that laid down on the maps. 
But it does not appear that the Glaciers 
of Mont Euan, which lie between the 
Pic de Tenneverges and the Dent du 
Midi have been thoroughly explored. 
The highest point of the Mont Ruan is 
the rocky peak called Tour Sailliere 
(10,587')* the highest summit of the 
Savoy Alps N. of Mont Blanc. Con- 
siderable glaciers descend on each side, 
and across these a pass might perhaps 
be made from the Chalets of Barberine 
to Champery. 



Route F. 

SAMOENS TO CHAMPERY AND MONTHEY. 
9 hrs.' walking. 

Next to Sixt the most attractive 
place to a mountaineer in this dis- 
trict is Champery, in the Val d'llliez. 
It has the double advantage of being 
very easy of access, and being pro- 
vided with a comfortable inn. The 
route here described affords an easy 
way for connecting the two together. 
The passes leading directly from Sixt, 
described in the next Rte., are more 
interesting to the mountaineer, but 
not easy enough for ordinary tourists. 
The way from Samoens to Champery 
is by an easy mule-path, and requires 
but 6 hrs.' steady walking. Mules take 
6^ hrs. exclusive of halts. It lies 
through very pleasing forest scenery, 
near to the NW. limit of the cretaceous 
and tertiary rocks of the mountain 
ranges N. of Sixt, which abut uncon- 
formably on the liassic and triassic 
strata forming the head of the valley of 
the Dranse (Rte. L). A char-road 
from Samoens to Thonon, which would 
replace the first part of this route, has 
been for some time in contemplation, 
but little progress appears to have been 
made. The path from Samoens 
mounts a little E. of N. for about ^ hr. 
to Moulins, and then due N. for 1 hr. 
more, through very picturesque scenery, 
to Allamans. From hence two tracks 



lead across the Col de Goleze. That 
usually followed reaches the top in 1^ 
hr., passing by the Chalets de Goleze, 
where wine, bread, and cheese are to be 
found; the other, a few minutes shorter, 
passes by the Chalets de la Croix. The 
Col de Goleze (about 5,600') overlooks 
the head of the valley of the Dranse, 
which is poured into the Lake of 
Geneva, near Thonon (Rte. I ), and 
another rather higher pass, called Col 
de Coux, leads from the head of the 
same valley to Champery. It is there- 
fore desirable to descend as little as 
possible towards the Dranse, and the 
path accordingly winds round the head 
of the valley, beneath some fine lime- 
stone crags, amidst magnificent timber. 
Rather more than 1^ hr. is required to 
reach the Col de Coux (about 6,400'), 
marked by a cross. The descent is at 
first rather steep, but after passing, 
about half-way, a streamlet that issues 
from a sulphureous spring, it becomes 
more gentle, and keeping along the 1. 
bank of the torrent it reaches, in 2 hrs. 
from the Col, the village of 

Champery (Inns : H. de la Dent du 
Midi, good and reasonable, pension is 
or was 4j fr. a day ; Croix Federale, 
second-rate, but not bad), beautifully 
situated at 3,412 (?) ft. above the sea, 
close to the base of the Dent du Midi. 
The ascent of that fine peak is described 
in Rte. H. There are many other less 
laborious excursions suited to ordinary 
tourists. The best guide here is named 
Obrozenn ( probably Oberhauser '? ). 
The Dent de Bonnavaux is often 
ascended for the sake of the view, 
being much easier of access than the 
Dent du Midi. The excursion, though 
rather long, is free from difficulty, and 
practicable for ladies who are good 
walkers. The ascent lies in great part 
by the track leading to the Col de Sage- 
roux (Rte. G), and is said to require 
6 hrs. An excursion recommended to 
less active travellers is to mount the 
slopes SW. of the Chalets de Bonnavaux 
to a cross on a little col, and then to 
the summit of a knoll to the rt. The 
I return may be made by descending on 



ROUTE G. — COL 

the N. side of the same ridge to the 
chalets of Barme. 

A new char-road alcng the 1. bank 
of the Vieze through the Vol d'llliez, 
from Champery to Monthey, has lately 
been completed. The distance is about 
9 m., and the descent so rapid that 
in mounting from Monthey no time is 
gained by taking a carriage. The valley 
abounds in picturesque scenery, and is 
now deservedly frequented, though 
scarcely known a few years ago. The 
first village, about 1 hr. below Champery, 
is called Val d'llliez, and nearly 1 hr. 
farther at the junction of the path from 
Morgin (Rte. M.) is Trois Torrents. 
In making the new- road, many of the 
famous erratic blocks lying on the slope 
above that village (Rtc. 1) have been 
split up. A foot-passenger wishing to go 
direct to Bex may shorten his road by 
crossing the Vieze opposite Trois 
Torrents, and following a path along 
the S. side of the valley to Chouex, and 
then descending to Massongex opposite 
Bex (§ 18, Ete. A). 

Route G. 

SIXT TO CHAMPERY. 

Two paths lead from Sixt to Cham- 
pery, the best-known and most interest- 
ing of which is that by the Col de 
Sageroux. It was formerly considered 
difficult, and even dangerous ; but the way 
has been improved, and it is now quite 
within the reach of any one used to 
mountain excursions. A guide is 
necessary. 

1. By the Col de Sageroux. A 
charming walk of 2 hrs. up the valley of 
Sixt, and through its upper end, called 
La Combe, brings the traveller to the foot 
of a steep path cut in the rocky wall to 
the 1., known as the Pas du Bore. 
During the ascent the grandest views 
are obtained of the mountains to the 
S. of the valley of Sixt, the Pic de 
Tenneverges on the opposite side of the 
Combe being the most conspicuous. 
After a steep climb of 30 to 45 m. the 
Chalets du Bore are reached, and 30 m. 



DE SAGEROUX. 235 

above them, after traversing a succession 
of beautiful pastures and another rocky 
track, a second mountain shelf is gained, 
marked by a huge fragment of rock 
called the Pierre du Dard. Turning 
to the rt. the path passes first through 
pastures interspersed with rocky surfaces, 
some of the latter showing apparent 
traces of glacier action, and in less 
than 30 m. after quitting the Pierre du 
Dard, the chalets of Vauzalle are 
reached. These are situated in an 
exquisite little amphitheatre of green, 
set in a framework of the most rugged 
rocks. 

' The way to the col. now passes over 
a succession of hillocks and ravines of 
slaty debris, but the track is very ill- 
defined, though in clear weather there 
is no difficulty in maintaining the direc- 
tion. Looking back, the Buet and Mont 
Blanc successively appear above the 
lower intervening ridges, and in 1 hr. 
the summit is reached. The view in 
all directions, except the immediate 
foreground, is striking and beautiful. 
The valleys of Sixt and Illiez are seen 
far below on either hand, and around 
them rise the noble summits of Mont 
Blanc, the Buet, the Pic de Tenneverges, 
the Dent du Midi, and the mountains on 
the other side of the Rhone. The rocks 
on the E. side of the pass present some 
mauvais pas, as the debris is shifting, 
and the footing consequently insecure, 
especially after a recent fall of snow. 
It is necessary to keep at first to the 1., 
and then zigzag down the steep shaly 
slopes. A bar of iron has been planted 
to give a firm grasp in one awkward 
place. From 20 to 30 min. suffice for 
the descent into a desert and unattrac- 
tive upland valley, at the lower^ or E. 
extremity of which are the Chalets de 
Sesanfe, or Susanfe ( 6,398'). 

'A magnificent glacier is seen in front, 
descending from between the Dent du 
Midi and the Tour Sailliere. A few 
min. farther on, and turning to the L, a 
spot called the Pas d'Enferne is reached^ 
commanding a most beautiful view of 
the course of the Val dTlliez. 

* A steep path now leads down through 



236 



PENNINE ALPS. § 17. SIXT DISTRICT. 



a ravine beneath the magnificent preci- 
pices of the Dent du Midi, then turns 
to the 1., and, in less than 1 hr. after 
quitting the Chalets de Sesanfe, reaches 
the hamlet of Bonnavaux, and, travers- 
ing a fine pine forest, in 30 min. more 
this route rejoins that of the Golette 
d'Oulaz. A good char-road leads thence 
to Champery in J hr., crossing the main 
stream about 10 min. from the village. 
The entire way from the Chalets de 
Sesanfe is a succession of scenes of the 
utmost grandeur combined with the 
richest and softest beauty ; and I know 
few excursions more to be recommended 
than the passage of the Col de Sage- 
roux.' — [F. F. T.] 

Time, not including halts, 8 to 9 hrs. 

In ascending from Champery, a notch 
in the rocks above the waterfall of Bon- 
navaux marks the point where the track 
has been carried. The ascent on that 
side is in part a rather steep scramble. 
In one place a wire rope has been fixed 
to assist the traveller. 

2. By the Golette oVOulaz. The track 
lies by the same way as that just de- 
scribed as far as the Chalets de Vauzalle, 
nearly 4 hrs. from Sixt. At the chalets 
a path turns off to the 1., passing near 
to a little lake, and mounts through a 
wild glen leading to a sort of chimney 
in the rock, called Golette d'Oulaz. 
Keeping nearly due N., the summit of 
the pass is reached by steep slopes of 
snow. The descent also lies over snow- 
slopes. A short way from the top a track 
to the 1. leads down a lateral valley to 
Allamans and Samoens (Rte. F). The 
descent to Champery is said to be at 
least as difficult as that from the Col de 
Sageroux, and the way is longer by 1 
hr. At the Chalets de Barme the track 
reaches one of the principal branches 
into which the Val d'llliez divides above 
Champery, about 2 hrs. from that place. 

Both in this and the route by the Col 
de Sageroux it is possible to avoid the 
steep and rather slippery staircase of 
the Pas de Bore by a circuitous path 
used for driving cows up the higher 
pastures. This way is said to be longer 
by 1 hr. 



Route H. 

CHAMPERY TO MARTIGNY — ASCENT OP 
THE DENT DU MIDI. 

An active mountaineer may combine 
the ascent of the Dent du Midi with the 
way from Champery to Martigny in a 
single long day. But however the 
ascent may be made, it is advisable to 
make an early start, as the distance is 
considerable. 

The most direct way to the summit 
of this remarkable peak is by the Croix 
de Zeleze ; in all, about 5h hrs. It is 
said to require a very steady head, as it 
is necessary to pass along narrow ledges 
on the face of precipices. The way 
more usually taken is longer, but quite 
free from danger. The traveller mounts 
in 1 ^ hr. from Champery to the hamlet 
of Bonnavaux, where tolerable quarters 
may be had for the night. A sort of 
staircase, called l'Echelle, leads up steep 
rocks to an elevated glen, wherein the 
stream from the Col de Sageroux, to 
the WSW., meets the stream from the 
Col de Sesanfe, lying ENE., at the 
Chalets de Sesanfe. The traveller 
mounts to the last-named Col (7,940'), 
about due S. of the Dent du Midi, 
and the last part of the ascent lies 
in great part over steep slopes of 
debris. By this way at least 5 hrs. 
are required to reach the highest peak 
from Bonnavaux. The view is one of 
the finest in this part of the Alps, 
having the advantage of immediately 
overlooking a great part of the valley of 
the Rhone, and the E. end of the lake 
of Geneva, along with a panoramic 
view of the Pennine and Bernese Alps. 
The height, according to the Federal 
Survey, is 10,450 ft. 

The Col de Sesanfe connects the 
Dent du Midi with the Tour Sailliere, 
a peak apparently still untouched, 
which might perhaps be reached by 
following the ridge from the Col. On 
returning to the col from the Dent du 
Midi, the traveller may reach Martigny 
. in little more time than is required to 



EOUTE I. — S. SIDE OF THE LAKE OF GENEVA. 



237 



jret back to Champery, but the descent 
is considerably steeper on this side. 
The first chalets reached are those of 
Salanfe. The traveller may either follow 
the stream of that name down to the high- 
road between St. Maurice and Martigny 
(§ 18, Rte. A), close to the Vernayaz 
station on the railway, or, by bearing to 
the rt., he may reach in 2 hrs. Salvent, in 
the valley of the Trient (§ 16, Rte. H). 
To reach St. Maurice, he may follow a 
path from the Chalets de Salanfe to the 
Col de Zora (?), leading by the Vallee 
de St. Barthelemi to the valley of the 
Rhone near Evionnaz (§ 18). 

A traveller bound from Champery to 
Chamouni may avail himself of the Col 
de Sesanfe to reach the inn of the Tete 
Noire, or that of the Barberine in a long 
day's walk. Having crossed the col, he 
will find a path to the rt., a little above 
the chalets of Salanfe, leading to the Col 
d'Emaney. This gives access to a 
steep and wild glen that descends 
from the Mont Ruan to join the 
Trient. The writer is informed that 
a track leads in 2j hrs. to Finhaut, 
nearly opposite the Tete Noire ; but as 
a second col must be passed, the dis- 
tance must be greater. It is said to be 
a better course for a traveller bound for 
Chamouni to traverse a third pass— Col 
de Barberine— connecting the head of 
the Emaney glen with that of the Bar- 
berine torrent, and to descend to the 
inn below Valorsine, passing by the 
chalets of Emoussons. This would, 
however, be a long walk, probably not 
less than 14 hrs., exclusive of halts. 



Route I. 

GENEVA TO ST. MAURICE, BY THONON. 





Kilometres 


Eng. miles 


Douvaine 


. 18 


m 


Thonon . 


. 16 


10 


Evian 


. 10 




St. Gingolph . 


. 17 




Bouveret. • 


. 4 




Vionnaz 


. 10 


n 


IVlonthey . 


. 8 


5 


St. Maurice 


. 5 


3 




88 


54f 



In the extensive tract of hilly or 
mountainous country lying between the 
Giffre and the Lake of Geneva the only 
frequented road is that which, sweeping 
in a semicircle round the N. boundary 
of this district, connects Geneva with 
St. Maurice in the valley of the Rhone. 
This formed a portion of the original 
road of the Simplon, being the shortest 
way between Geneva and that pass. It 
has, however, been less frequented than 
the road by the N. shore of the lake, 
described in § 18, partly because of the 
attractions of Lausanne and Vevey on 
that side of the lake, and in part be- 
cause travellers dislike the formalities of 
the custom-house and passport offices en- 
countered in entering Savoy near Geneva, 
and returning to Swiss territory at St. 
Gingolph. At present the railway along 
the N. shore carries most passengers 
who are pressed for time ; but a rival 
and shorter line is in progress along the 
Savoy side of the lake. Passengers 
reaching Bouveret by steamer, or by the 
road here described, may continue their 
way to St. Maurice by the railway con- 
necting those stations on the Ligne 
dTtalie railroad. 

After leaving the city, the road lies 
for about 7 m. through the Canton of 
Geneva, passing many villages and scat- 
tered villas, of which the Villa Diodati, 
at Cologny, is remembered as the resi- 
dence of Byron. Here the road com- 
mands views of the lake and the Jura 
on one side, and on the other extends 
along the valley of the Arve to Mont 
Blanc. A stream named Hermance 
forms the boundary between Switzer- 
land and Savoy, and the road, here 
separated from the lake by a projecting 
tract of hilly ground, traverses a low 
and uninteresting district, in the midst 
of which lies 

Douvaine (Inn : Lion d'Or). The 
higher Alps are shut out by the range 
of the Voiron s (Rte. K), and a little 
farther on the hill of Boisy, rising about 
1,100 ft. on the rt. of the road, covered 
with vineyards, commands a fine view, 
and exhibits an undulation of the mo- 
lasse,here breaking through the diluvium 



238 PENNINE ALPS. § 

which covers all the low country near 
the lake. About 13 m. from Geneva, at 
Massongy, the road regains a view of 
the lake and the surrounding heights, 
which remain in view from hence to 
Bouveret. About 8 m. farther is 

Thonon (Inns: Ville de Geneve; 
Balances), a small ancient town on the 
lake, the former capital of the province 
of Chablais. The upper town contains 
the chief buildings, and a terrace-walk 
planted with trees and commanding the 
lake and the mountains. Near at hand, 
on the alluvial deposits thrust into the 
lake by the impetuous torrent of the 
Dranse, are the remains of the castle, 
afterwards monastery, of Ripaille, twice 
the retreat of Amadeus VIII., forty 
years sovereign Count and Duke of 
Savoy ; then, after a retirement of five 
years, elected Pope as Felix V., who 
died here after renouncing that dignity 
as well as his dukedom, leaving a rare 
reputation for wisdom and moderation. 
The French sold the castle to a farmer 
in 1793, and little remains to attest its 
former splendour. 

About 2 m. beyond Thonon the road 
crosses the Dranse by a long bridge of 
24 arches, leaving on the rt. the road to 
St. Jean d'Aulph and Morzine (Rte. L). 
Passing some magnificent chestnut trees, 
which have been partly cut down of late 
years, the road soon reaches Amphion, 
where a good hotel (Casino), chalybeate 
waters, and gambling, attract Swiss 
visitors during the summer. Omnibuses 
ply between this place and 

Evian (Inns : H. des Bains, very 
good ; Nord ; France ; H. des Alpes ; 
Cheval Blanc), a small town just oppo- 
site to Lausanne, and on one of the finest 
sites on the lake. A mineral spring 
whose water is nearly tasteless enjoys a 
certain reputation, and a hydropathic 
establishment also attracts some visitors 
during the summer months. The cli- 
mate is cooler than that of Vevey, but 
more variable, being much exposed to 
winds from the lake. An enormous 
chestnut tree at Neuvecelle, J m. from 
the town, is visited by strangers. The 
ascent of the Dent d'Oche (8,010') may 



17. SIXT DISTRICT. 

be made from hence in about 6 hrs., but 
St. Gingolph is a better starting-point. 

The high-road beyond Evian passes 
close to the lake, which on this side 
presents far bolder scenery than on the 
opposite shore. After about 6 m. it 
reaches Meillerie, familiar to the readers 
of the ' Nouvelle Helo'ise/ where the 
rocks plunge directly into the lake, 
here about 800 ft. in depth. The 
hamlet of Bret, 2h m. beyond Meillerie, 
is said to occupy the site of Tauretunum, 
destroyed in the 6th century by the 
fall of a considerable mass of moun- 
tain, which is said to have caused ex- 
tensive havoc on the shores of the lake 
by the massive waves which arose be- 
yond their accustomed limits. 

St. Gingolph (Inn : La Poste, in- 
different), is a village divided into two 
by the Morges torrent, here marking the 
frontier between Switzerland and Savoy. 
This stream rises from a group of 
mountains, the highest in the immediate 
neighbourhood of the lake, which go 
by the collective name Dents d'Oche. 
The highest summit may be reached in 
about 5 hrs. The more massive range 
of the Grammont, immediately S. of 
St. Gingolph, is even better worth a 
visit, as it more immediately overlooks 
the lake and the valley of the Rhone 
as far as St. Maurice. The highest 
point, sometimes called Signal de Vouyi 
(7,176'), commands, in addition, a 
fine Alpine panorama. The most 
pleasing route for the descent is by the 
glen and lake of Taney to Vouvry. The 
following note recommends another 
interesting excursion, connecting St. 
Gingolph with Youvry. 

' Ascend by the banks of the Morges, 
through a wood of splendid chestnut and 
walnut trees, at the back of St. Gingolph, 
as far as Novel. Here take a southerly 
direction towards a col, passing under 
the Chat d'Oche, and having crossed it, 
proceed until you have the Cornettes 
to the SE.; ascend a pasture valley to 
the Chalets of Bise, and from thence 
the summit of the Cornettes is easily 
gained. The view is magnificent, and 
is scarcely surpassed by any lake-view 



ROUTE K. BONNEVILLE TO THONON. 



239 



in Switzerland. Descend nearly due 
E., by the pretty little Lac de Taney, 
and you will be quite prepared to enjoy 
a good supper and comfortable bed 
at the modest inn at Youvry.' — 
[R, W. E. F.] 

Bouveret (Inn : La Tour), 2 J m. 
from St. Gingolph, is close to the 
mouth of the Rhone, and is a place of 
some traffic, being the station for the 
lake steamers, and the present terminus 
of the Ligne d'ltalie Railroad. This 
line is carried SSE. along the 1. bank, 
or Yalais side of the Rhone, being 
joined at St. Maurice by the W. Swiss 
line, which traverses the opposite or 
Vaudois side of the valley. 

About 1 J m. from the lake is Porte 
Valais, which, fourteen centuries ago, 
stood on the shore. Skirting the base of 
the mountain, where a fort and draw- 
bridge formerly guarded this entrance 
to the Yalais, the road is carried to 

Vouvry (Inn: La Poste, fair), near 
which is the outlet of the Stockalper 
Canal, excavated in the last century by 
an individual of that name, to drain 
the marshes that occupy a large portion 
of the valley. Besides the Grammont, 
mentioned above, an excursion may be 
made from hence to the Pic de Linleux 
(6,181'), also said to command a noble 
view, and to the lakes of Arcon and 
Arvin, reputed for their trout. 2 m. far= 
ther is Vionnaz, and several other small 
villages are passed before reaching 

Monthey (Inn: La Croix d'Or, good 
and reasonable), at the opening of the 
Val dTlliez (Rte. F), well known to 
geologists for the erratic blocks to 
which attention was first called by M. 
de Charpentier. On the slope above 
the village a vast assemblage of huge 
blocks of protogine granite, exactly 
similar to that found in the Yal Ferret 
on the E. side of Mont Blanc, remain 
in the site where they were left by the 
retirement of the great glacier that 
once traversed the valley of the Rhone. 
Similar blocks recur at intervals above 
Yionnaz, and at several other places on 
the W. slope of the valley, but they 
are nowhere seen on so great a scale as 



here. One block is about 70 ft. long, 
36 ft. broad, and 33 ft, high. 2 m. 
beyond Monthey is Massongex, con- 
nected by a new bridge with Bex. 
The valley rapidly contracts between 
the opposite bases of the Dent du Midi 
and the Dent de Morcles, as the railway 
reaches 

St. Maurice (Inns: Union; Ecu du 
Yalais), described in § 18, Rte. A. 



Route K. 

BONNEVILLE TO THONON. 

The N. part of Savoy, forming the 
ancient province of Chablais, and lying 
between the Arve and GirFre and the 
Lake of Geneva, contains much pleasing 
scenery, though none that can be called 
grand. The district might well be visited 
early in the season, before the higher Alps 
of Savoy are conveniently accessible. 
The prevailing direction of the ridges 
and the minor valleys is parallel to that 
of the Mont Blanc range— SW. to NE. 
Three roads are here indicated, but the 
country is easily accessible in every 
direction, and a pedestrian may choose 
his own course without meeting serious 
obstruction. 

1. By Bonne and Machilly. Post- 
road— 265- m. Following for about 
m. the high-road from Bonneville to 
Geneva (§ 16, Rte. A), the traveller 
turns to the rt. before reaching Nangy, 
and in about 2 m. arrives at Bonne, a 
village on the Menoge, lying im- 
mediately S. of the Voirons, a range of 
hills formed of tertiary rock, often 
visited from Geneva for the sake of the 
view over the lake and the Jura on one 
side, and the snowy Alps on the other. 
The finest point of view, though not 
the highest summit, is said to be a 
conical eminence above the Chalet de 
Pralaire, immediately N. of Bonne, 
4,613 ft. above the sea. This may be 
easily reached in about 2| hrs. from the 
village. The road sweeps round the 
W. base of the Yoirons, passing near 



240 



PENNINE ALPS. § 17. SIXT DISTRICT. 



to, but not crossing, the bounds of the 
Canton of Geneva, and at Machilly 
joins a carriage-road from that city, 
about 10 m. distant. From hence, or 
from Langin, the N. end of the Voirons 
is easily accessible. The ruined tower 
of Langin, on the rt. of the road, com- 
mands a noble view. Passing through 
Bons, Brenthomme, and Lully, and 
within sight of many other villages 
lying on either side, the road leaves on 
one hand the ruins of the castle of La 
Rochette, and soon after approaches the 
more extensive remains of the castle of 
AUingps. To reach the ruins it is 
shorter to turn to the rt. from the post- 
road some time before reaching the 
cross-road which mounts to the village 
of the same name. Though long 
abandoned, the chapel is still in tole- 
rable condition, and the roof shows 
traces of very early fresco painting. 
The castle stood at about 1,100 ft. above 
the lake, and, like every eminence in 
this beautiful district, enjoyed a noble 
view. About 1^ hr. from the castle is 
Thonon (Rte. I). 

2. By Boege. Char-road — about 34 
miles. Instead of following the road 
from Bonne to Machilly, this road issues 
from the first-named village in the 
opposite direction, ascends along the 
rt. bank of the Menage stream, passing 
first along the S., then by the W. flank 
of the Voirons, and in about 16 m. 
from Bonneville, reaches Boege (2,294/), 
a small town with several country inns. 
The road now crosses to the rt. bank of 
the stream, which it follows nearly to 
its source, passing the villages of 
Habere Lullin and Habere Poche. 
Prom hence the shortest way for a 
pedestrian is by a path nearly due N. 
to the Castle of Allinges (see above), 
which is reached in about 3 hrs. The 
rough char-road mounts NE. to the 
Col des Fourclies dHHabtre (4,685 7 ), a 
slight depression in a range of wooded 
hills. Prom the col the road descends 
to Lullin, and about 2 m. farther to 
Vailly, close to the junction of the 
Fulaz with the Brevon. Keeping along 
the slope at some height above the ] 



united streams which are soon merged 
in the Dranse, the way follows the 
course of the latter stream by the old 
road, passing l'Epine and Armoy, noted 
for its extensive gypsum quarries, 
which are connected by a tram-way 
with Thonon. 

3. By St. Jeoire and Megevette. 
About 30 m. Char-road to Megevette. 
Mule-track thence to Vail ley. The 
conical peak of the Mole "lies be- 
tween Bonneville and St. Jeoire, and a 
pedestrian in fine weather should take 
that mountain in his way from one 
place to the other. Vehicles follow the 
old road to Sallanches, and, instead of 
crossing the Giffre by the bridge beyond 
Marigny, follow the rt. bank of that 
stream to its confluence with the Riche, 
and then mounting along the banks of 
the Riche, reach St. Jeoire (Rte. A) in 
about 8 m. from Bonneville. A char- 
road is carried up the valley of the 
Riche to Onion, the principal village, 
and thence to Megevette, about 3,000 
ft. above the sea. Nearly due N. of 
the latter village is the Col de Jam- 
baz, reached by a gentle ascent in about 
1 hr. From the summit a path to the 
L leads to Lullin, in the glen of the 
Pulaz (see above), and another to the 
rt. is the way to the upper part of 
the valley of Bellavaux, whence vari- 
ous paths lead to Tanninges, in the 
valley of the GifFre. The mule-track 
descends from the col directly to Bella- 
vaux, also called Contamines, the chief 
village in the Val de Bellavaux. This 
is traversed by the Brevon, or Dran6e 
d'Enfer, which descends from the Mont 
Somman and the Roc d'Enfer to join 
the main stream of the Dranse (Rte. 
L), about 7 m. above Thonon. The 
Brevon receives the minor torrent of 
the Pulaz about 4 m. below Bellavaux, 
and the way to Thonon descends along 
the 1. bank till near the junction, when 
it bears to the left, and joins the char- 
road from Lullin at Vailly, nearly 9 m. 
from Thonon. 



ROUTE H. THONON TO CHAMP ERY. 



241 



Route L. 

THOKON TO SAMOENS. 

Hrs.' walking Eng. miles 
La Vernaz 3 9 
Biot 1| 5i 
Montriond . . If 5| 
Samoens 4 12 

H>i 31| 

The old road by which country car- 
riages ascended the valley of the Dranse 
lay along the L bank of the stream, 
passing Armoy. This involved several 
ascents and descents, and a new road 
has been made along the rt. bank, both 
easier and more picturesque. The 
Dranse is reached about 1 m. from 
Thonon, and as the valley enters the 
hills the slopes become very steep, and 
the scenery varied and interesting. 
After about 5 m. the road approaches 
the point where the main stream re- 
ceives from the S\Y. the Brevon, or 
Dranse d'Enfer, and a little higher up 
is joined by the Dranse d'Abondance, 
flowing eastward from the N. side of 
the Dents d'Oche. The road here 
crosses to thel. bank, and mounts to the 
village of La Vernaz. This is con- 
nected with the smaller village of For- 
claz, on the rt. bank of the Dranse, by 
a natural rock-bridge. The road con- 
tinues along the 1. bank of the main 
stream for about 3 m., and then returns 
near the hamlet of Gy to the rt. bank. 
Two m. farther is Biot, the chief vil- 
lage of the valley (2,684'). Here the 
stream flows nearly at a level for a con- 
siderable distance, and the green basin 
was formerly chosen for the site of the 
Abbey of Aulph, the ruins of which are 
passed on the rt. bank, while the village 
of St Jean oV Aulph (Inn: Chez Doller) 
remains on the opposite side of the 
Dranse. Another inn (Le Cheval) 
stands near the ruins. Fully 3 m. far- 
ther is the village of Montriond (3,05 1'), 
made up of several scattered hamlets, 
where the Dranse is formed by the union 
of three mountain torrents. The E. 
branch descends from the Col de 



Chesery (Rte. M) ; the S. branch, 
scarcely 3 m. in length, is traversed by 
a char-road which, avoiding Montriond, 
mounts to the rather large village of 
Les Gets, formed of several hamlets 
lying one above the other on the slope 
of the mountain, and then passes a low 
col (about 4,3000 t0 g ai n the valley of 
the Foron, by which Tanninges is ac- 
cessible in about 5^ hrs. from Biot, or 
10 hrs. from Thonon. The middle one 
of the three torrents meeting near Mont- 
riond descends from the SE. About 2 
m. above the junction is Morzine, and 
here the most direct way to Samoens, 
said to be practicable for chars (?), 
mounts by a short lateral glen to the 
Col de Jouxplane (6,684'), and winds 
over the mountain slopes above the glen 
of the Valentine, reaching Samoens in 
about 4 hrs. from Montriond. It is not 
a much longer rte. to follow the main 
stream from Morzine to its head, where 
a track to the rt. leads to Samoens by 
the Col de Goleze (Rte. E), and another 
to the 1. reaches Champery by the Col 
de Coux. 



Route M. 

THONON TO CHAMPERY, OR TO 
MONTHET. 

Several routes may be taken between 
Thonon and the Val d'llliez, all of 
them passing through agreeable scenery. 
The chief of them are here briefly 
noticed. 

1. By the Col oVAbondance. Eully 13 
hrs. to Champery. This was formerly 
approached by a hilly road that links 
together several of the villages scattered 
on the heights E. of the Dranse. Since 
the completion of the new road on the rt. 
bank it is much better to follow this to 
a point below La Vernaz, near to the 
junction of the Dranse dAbondance 
with the main torrent. Following the 
1. bank of the former, a rough road 
leads in 4^ hrs. from Thonon to La 
Vacheresse (Inn : La Croix), 2,730 ft. 
in height. From hence the higher 



242 



PENNINE ALPS. § 18. ST. BERNARD DISTRICT. 



summits of the Dent d'Oche may all 
be conveniently attacked. The road 
mounts for nearly 2 hrs. along the rt. 
bank to Noire Dame d'Abondance (Inns: 
Chez Cretin ; La Croix), with the re- 
mains of an abbey (3,05 1'). The ascent 
is more rapid for another hour at least, 
when the traveller reaches La Chapelle 
(Inn : La Croix), the highest village 
(3,612'). Numerous hamlets occur in 
the upper part of the valley above La 
Chapelle, and 2 hrs. are required to 
reach the Col oV Abondance (4,629'), also 
called Pas de Morgin, here forming the 
frontier between Savoy and Switzerland. 
The Baths of Morgin, with a tolerable 
inn, lie but a short distance below the 
col, and may be reached in -Jhr. or less, 
fully 9 J hrs. from Thonon. The valley 
of Morgin, which above the baths de- 
scends to NNE., here turns about due 
E., and leads in Ij hr., through very 
fine scenery, to Trois Torrents (Rte. F), 
about 2 hrs. from Champery, or 1 hr. 
above Monthey. 

2. By the Col de Chesery. 14j hrs. 
to Champery. A circuitous but very 
picturesque route, following the way from 
Thonon to Samoens for 6j hrs. as far 
as Montriond (Rte. L). Mounting the 
E. branch of the valley, in less than 2 
m. the traveller comes to the pretty Lac 
de Montriond, about J m. long (3,445'). 
Between bold rocks and cascades and 
through pine forests the path mounts to 
the Col de Chesery, about 9 hrs. from 
Thonon. The descent leads through 
the Vallee de Morgin, a wild glen, where 
some caution is necessary to avoid being 
caught in marshy places, and in 2 hrs. 
reaches the baths. (See above.) 

3. By the Col de Champery. About 
12 hrs. This way is better fitted for a 
traveller wishing to make the whole dis- 
tance in one day. being shorter than 
those above noticed, but it offers no 
halting -place so good as Morgin. At I 
Morzine (Rte. L), rather more than 7 
hrs. from Thonon, a glen opens to the 
E., which leads directly to this col, lying 
on the S. side of the Pointe de Mossetta 
(7,536'), and immediately W. of Cham- 
pery. Further information is desired. I 



4. By the Col de Coux. It is, pro- 
bably, a shorter course than that last 
suggested, to follow the middle stream 
of the Dranse quite to its source above 
Morzine, and then cross the Col de Coux 
(Rte. F) to Champery; 11^ hrs., ex- 
clusive of halts, would probably suffice 
to reach Champery. 



SECTION 18. 

ST. BERNARD DISTRICT. 

The division of the Pennine Alps be- 
tween the Col de Ferrex and the Sim- 
plon Pass into subordinate groups is a 
purely arbitrary process, dictated by 
convenience, but not resting on oro- 
graphic or geological grounds. The 
range of Mont Blanc is on the contrary 
completely distinct, and terminated to 
the XE. by the valley of the Dranse. 
The great group whose culminating 
point is Monte Rosa, may be con- 
sidered to have its west termination in 
the range SE. of the Yal Ferrex, whose 
last summit is the Mont de la Saxe over 
Courmayeur. In the present section 
we include the western portion of this 
group, whose central point is the famous 
Hospice of the Great St. Bernard. On 
the N. side of the range this comprises 
the main valleys of Entremont and 
Bagnes, with their tributary streams 
and glaciers, all drained by the Dranse, 
and on the S. side the basin of the But- 
tier, with the ranges which separate its 
eastern and western branches from the 
Dora Baltea. The eastern limit of this 
district is formed by the Val Tour- 
nanche, the Col de Vacornere connecting 
the head of that valley with the head of 
the Yal Pellina, and the Col de la 
Reuse de l'Arolla from Prerayen to the 
head of the Glacier of Chermontane. 

Although the Pass of the Great St. 
Bernard has been known from the 
earliest times, and has been annually 
passed by hundreds of tourists, it is only 



§ 18. ST. BERNARD DISTRICT. 



243 



of late years that the neighbouring 
valleys, which contain some of the 
grandest scenery in the Alps, have been 
explored. As in many other parts of 
the Pennine Alps, Professor J. D. 
Forbes was amongst the foremost, 
and his footsteps were soon followed by 
several other English travellers. Mr. 
Gottlieb Studer and Mr. King respect- 
ively contributed to direct increased 
attention to the beauties of the neg- 
lected district E. of the St. Bernard, but 
it is mainly since the formation of the 
Alpine Club that most of the great 
glaciers which feed the Dranse and the 
Buttier have now been thoroughly ex- 
plored. The papers published in the 
first and second series of ' Peaks, Passes 
and Glaciers ' bear witness to the energy, 
intrepidity, and perseverance of the 
writers whose names are referred to in 
the following pages. The object of dis- 
covering a continuous route along the 
main range of the Pennine Alps between 
the two head-quarters of mountaineer- 
ing activity, Chamouni and Zermatt, 
has been all but completely accom- 
plished. It is somewhat singular that 
the only part of the so-called High Level 
Route that has been left unexplored 
is the comparatively trifling, and pro- 
bably easy section between the head of 
the Yal Ferrex and St. Pierre. It does 
not appear that any one has attempted 
to find his way direct from the Chalets 
de Ferrex to the short glen called Les 
Planards which joins the Dranse about 
H m. above St. Pierre, or, failing such 
a pass, to ascertain the easiest path con- 
necting those places. At present those 
who cross the Mont Blanc range by any 
of the passes described in § 16, descend 
to Orsieres on their way to reach St. 
Pierre, and pro tanto abandon the High 
Level Rte. When the desired link 
shall have been supplied, the way from 
Chamouni — or rather from the valley 
of Chamouni — to Zermatt will involve 
a journey of 5 days, of which the 
second will be a day of comparative 
rest. On the first day the traveller 
starting from the Chalet de 1'Ognon, 
or the Col de Balme, may reach the 



chalets of La Foliaz, or those of Ferret, 
by the Col d'Argentiere, or the Col 
de Salena (§16, Rtes. L and M). On 
the second, he will cross the pass which 
remains to be determined to St. Pierre. 
On the third day he will cross the Col 
de Sonadon (Rte. F) to the Chalets de 
Chermontane. On the fourth, he may 
easily reach Prerayen by the Col de la 
Reuse de l'Arolla (Rte. K), and on the 
fifth, the Col de Vai Pellina (Rte. G) 
leads direct to Zermatt. It should, 
however, be remembered by those who 
meditate such an expedition, that it 
can be undertaken with safety, or 
with satisfaction, only under unusually 
favourable conditions of steady fine 
weather, and that none but thoroughly 
trained mountaineers, in good strength 
and health, can bear such prolonged 
exertion without risk of future mischief. 
It is also a question whether the effort 
is not rather more than can fairly be 
imposed upon the guides, who usually 
are laden with an amount of baggage 
from which the traveller is free. In 
any case, with due respect for the 
authority of one of those who has had 
a large share in exploring and describ- 
ing the High Level Route, the writer ear- 
nestly advises future travellers not to 
attempt to reduce it to a four days' 
journey by combining the pass from the 
Val Ferret to St. Pierre, either with 
the day's journey from Chamouni, or 
with that to Chermontane. The rules 
of prudence cannot be violated in 
Alpine travelling with impunity ; and 
to attempt the passage of the Col de 
Sonadon after having already travelled 
a distance of 4 or 5 hrs. of rough ground, 
or after having on the preceding day 
made an unusually long and laborious 
day's walk of fully 1 5 hrs. would be to 
earn the chance of serious mishap. 
Although the whole route between the 
Yal Ferret and Zermatt is included 
in this section, the passes are sepa- 
rately described, under the belief that 
the continuous route is scarcely to be 
recommended to average mountaineers. 

For details respecting the Grand 
Combin, the highest summit ot this 
2 



244 



PENNINE ALPS. § 18. 



ST. BERNARD DISTRICT. 



portion of the Pennine chain, the reader 
is referred to Rte. E. 



Route A. 

GENEVA TO AOSTA, BY MARTIGNY AND 
THE GREAT ST. BERNARD. 



Eng. miles Hrs. railway 



Conpet (by railway) 


10 


— 


Rolle 


12 


— 


IVIorges . 


9 


— 


Lausanne 


8 




Vevey • 
Villeneuve 


11 




9 


— 


Bex . 


1 1 




St. Maurice 


3 




Martigny . 


11 






84 


5 

Hrs.' walk 


St. Branchier . 






Orsieres . 


4 




Liddes 


4f 


n 


St. Pierre . • 


3f 


H 


Cantine de Proz 


31 


H 


Hosnice . 


H 




St. Remy. 


4 


ii 


Etroubles 




H 


Aosta 


10 


3| 




47 


16 



The traveller going from Geneva to 
Martigny has the choice of many 
different modes of conveyance. He 
may proceed by railway along the N. 
shore of the lake to Villeneuve, and 
thence to St. Maurice, where this line, 
part of the Chemin de Fer de l'Ouest 
Swisse, joins the Ligne dTtalie, which 
goes from Bouveret to Martigny and 
Sion, or, if indifferent to delay and the 
French custom-house, he may travel by 
diligence or hired carriage from Geneva 
to Bouveret, and from thence take the 
railway to St. Maurice and Martigny. 
More agreeable than either of these, to 
one who does not wish to loiter by the 
way, is the passage by steamer from 
Geneva to Villeneuve or Bouveret, from 
either of which places he may proceed 
by railway to Martigny. It should be 
observed that some of the steamers 
from Geneva touch only at the places 
on the Swiss shore, while others call 
also at Thonon, on the Savoy (now 
French) side of the lake, and Bouveret. 
The fare from Geneva to Villeneuve or 



Bouveret is 6 fr. for 1st class ; 3 fr. for 
2nd class. Time, about 5 hrs. The 
railway trains reach Villeneuve in from 
1\ to 3 hrs. Fares : 1st class, 9 fr. 
70 c. ; 2nd class, 6 fr. 76 c. Fares from 
Villeneuve to Martigny: 1st class, 4 ft'. ; 
2nd class, 2 fr. 70 c. 

The road along the S. bank from 
Geneva to St. Maurice is described in 
§ 17, Rte. I. We shall here give a 
brief description of the lake, with some 
notice of the principal places on the 
Swiss shore traversed by the railway to 
Martigny. 

The Lake of Geneva, or Lac Leman 
(Lacus Lemanus of the Romans), is the 
largest in Switzerland, and greatly 
exceeds in dimensions all those which 
are equally closely connected with the 
main valleys of the Alps. Its form is 
that of a crescent with the horns 
pointing to S.. the N» shore being about 
56 m., the S. shore about 44 m. in 
length. The crescent form was more 
regular at a recent geological period, 
when the lake extended to Bex, about 
11 m. S. of Villeneuve. The detritus 
of the Rhone has filled up this portion 
of the bed of the lake, and it appears 
that within the historical period the 
waters extended about If m. beyond 
the present E. margin of the lake. The 
height of the surface varies, according 
to the season, from 1,228 to 1,234 ft. 
above the sea level, being usually about 
1,230 fr. The level is subject to 
occasional oscillations, amounting to 
2 ft. or even more, which last for a 
short time, from 15 to 30 min., after 
which it returns to its previous condi- 
tion. These curious fluctuations, called 
seiches, appear independent of the 
direction of the wind, but connected 
with changes of weather. They are 
probably caused by the unequal pressure 
of the atmosphere on different portions 
of the surface at times when its equili- 
brium is disturbed. The greatest 
depth of the lake, in the broad portion 
between Evian and St. Sulpice, near 
Lausanne, where it is just 8 m. in 
width, has been usually stated as 984 ft., 
but other measures give more than 



ROUTE A. LAUSANNE. 



245 



1,200 ft., making the bottom of the lake 
about coincide with the level of the sea. 

The beauty of the shores of the lake 
and of the sites of many of the places 
near its banks has long been celebrated, 
and can scarcely fail to strike the least 
susceptible traveller. It is well, how- 
ever, to mention that it is only from the 
E. end of the lake, between Vevey and 
Villeneuve, that the scenery assumes 
the character of grandeur. The hills 
on the Savoy side are for the most part 
rugged and sombre, while those of the 
Swiss shore fall in gentle vine- covered 
slopes, thickly set with villages and 
chateaux. Mont Blanc and the snowy 
peaks of the Savoy Alps are shut out 
from the W. end of the lake by the 
ridge of the Voirons, and from its E. 
end by the bolder summits of the Dent 
d'Oche, but are seen from Geneva, 
and between Nyon and Morges. 
Erom Vevey to Bex, where the lake 
originally extended, the shores are 
enclosed by comparatively high and 
bold mountains, and the vista terminates 
in the grand portal of the defile of 
St. Maurice, cleft to a depth of nearly 
9,000 ft. between the opposite peaks of 
the Dent du Midi and the Dent de 
Morcles. 

The first place of any note on the 
Swiss shore is Coppet (Inn : Ange), 
sometimes visited from Geneva for the 
sake of the chateau once inhabited by 
Necker, and afterwards by his daughter, 
Madame de Stael. Some souvenirs of 
the latter are shown to strangers. About 
6 m. farther is 

Nyon (Inns : Couronne ; Soleil), 
from whence the ascent of the Dole 
may be made in 3 or 4 hrs. (see § 16, 
lite. A). The next little town is Rolle 
(Inns : Couronne ; Tete Noire), on 
the shore of the lake, surrounded by 
vineyards of some local repute, opposite 
to Thonon and the broad opening of the 
valley of the Dranse, through which 
the chain of Mont Blanc comes into 
view, and is seen for several miles to the 
E. On a hill about 5 m. N. of Rolle is 
Aubonne (Inns: Couronne; Lion d'Or), 
a curious little town, finely situated, and 



commanding one of the best views over 
the lake. The castle was built or 
altered by Tavernier, the Eastern 
traveller, in recollection of that of 
Erivan, on the frontier of Persia. The 
view is still more extensive from the 
Signal de Bougy (2,730'), near the 
town. 

Morges (Inns : H. des Alpes ; H. du 
Port ; Couronne), a town with a little 
port, has a picturesque and tolerably 
well preserved eastle, standing close to 
the lake, said to have been built by 
Queen Bertha in the 10th century. 

The high-road keeps near the shore, 
but the railway turns inland to the 
Bussigny station, where the branch of the 
Ouest Suisse Railway from Yverdun and 
Neuchatel joins that to St. Maurice. 
Travellers proceeding by that line 
change carriages here. A few miles 
farther is 

Lausanne (Inns : Eaucon, good ; 
H. Gibbon, 4 finer position, not so well 
managed, rather dear'(M.) ; li. Belie- 
vue, well situated, quiet, and reasonable ; 
H. Richemont, near the railway station, 
well spoken of \ H. de la Poste, small, 
but well conducted ; H. du Grand Pont, 
commercial), the chief town of the 
Canton Yaud, picturesquely but incon- 
veniently situated on the lower slopes 
of the Mont Jorat, several hundred feet 
above the level of the lake, and divided 
by ravines which make the old streets 
hilly and inconvenient. A causeway 
and lofty stone bridge spanning the 
chief channel have done much to remedy 
the defect. Many English and other 
strangers reside in and near to Lau- 
sanne for the sake of the climate, superior 
to that of Geneva, being partly sheltered 
from the keen NE. wind, the beauty of 
the site, or comparative cheapness of 
living. 

The upper part of the town, once sur- 
rounded by walls, and still called the 
Cite, contains the Cathedral, architectu- 
rally one of the most remarkable build- 
ings in Switzerland. There are some 
traces of the original church, founded 
a.d. 1000, but the greater part of the 
building dates from 1275. It contains 



246 



PEXXIXE ALPS. § 18. ST. BERNARD DISTRICT. 



several interesting monuments, and 
although somewhat defaced by modern 
alterations and whitewash, well deserves 
a visit. The view from the terrace at 
the W. end of the church alone suffices 
to reward the trouble of the ascent. 
The chateau, formerly the residence of 
the bishops, is a picturesque pile. 
The Musee Cantonal may deserve the 
notice of a naturalist. A collection of 
pictures — Musee Arlaud — is shown on 
Sundays and Thursdays, from 1 1 till 2 
o'clock. The public library, containing 
46,000 volumes, is rich in works con- 
nected with Switzerland, and a circu- 
lating library, chez Hignou & Cie, 
is supplied with English books and 
newspapers. 

* The neighbourhood of Lausanne is 
famous for the number and beauty of 
the walks which it presents. Here, and 
throughout the wine-growing districts 
bordering the lake, strangers mu^t 
beware of the alleys and narrow walks 
between walls or high hedges, which 
abound in every direction. Appearing 
to lead up a hiil, or to some favourable 
point of view, they are constantly 
closed at the end by a gate, with a 
notice against trespassers. The law 
is severely enforced against any one 
entering a vineyard without the owner's 
permission.' — [M.] 

About 1^ m. from the town is the 
little port, where the steamers call on 
the way to and from Geneva, at the 
village of 

Ouch?/ (Inns : H. Beaurivage, a fine 
house, very well kept, one of the best 
in Switzerland ; H. de r An ere, good 
and cheap ; Pension BachofFner, well j 
recommended). Families may lodge 
and board here at from 30 to 4Q fr. 
a week for each person. 

About J hr. from Lausanne, on the I 
slope of the Mont J or at, is a point 
called the Signal, accessible in a 
carriage, which commands a very fine j 
view over the lake. The numerous 
country houses near the town are more 
in the English style than is usual on 
the continent. 

The high-road and the railway keep ! 



near to the lake between Lausanne and 
Vevey (Germ. Vivis) (Inns : Trois 
Couronnes, a large handsome house, 
amongst the best hotels in Switzerland, 
charges rather high, but not; out of pro- 
portion to the accommodation ; families 
received en pension from loth Oct. to 
1st May on moderate terms ; H. du 
Lac, much smaller, but clean, comfort- 
able, and cheaper than the last: both 
are on the lake, and enjoy its beautiful 
scenery ; Trois Hois, very fair and 
cheap ; Croix Eederale -; Eaucon). 
The Chateau de Vevey in the town, 
and the Bellevue on the slope above it, 
are recommended as boarding houses, 
or pensions, which abound along this 
end of the lake. 

Eew spots in the neighbourhood of 
the Alps offer such attractions to 
strangers as Vevey, and the strip of 
land along the shore of the lake ex- 
tending from thence to Villeneuve. It 
enjoys the mildest winter climate in 
Switzerland, and is better sheltered from 
cold winds than the shores of the 
Italian lakes. It is easily accessible, 
living is cheap, and the inhabitants are 
usually courteous to strangers. It is 
not surprising, therefore, that the hotels 
and pensions are full throughout the 
summer, and that many persons remain 
here even through the winter. The 
convenience of living in or near a town 
is counterbalanced by the want of 
agreeable walks in the immediate 
neighbourhood of Vevey. These are 
nearly confined to the carriage-roads, 
rather hot and dusty, whereas about 
Montreux and the neighbouring ham- 
lets, where the mountains rise nearer at 
hand, the pedestrian finds abundant 
variety of agreeable excursions. Boat- 
ing on the lake is a constant source of 
enjoyment. Eares : hire of a boat per 
hour, without a rower, 1 fr. ; with one 
man, 2 fr.; to Chillon or St. Gingolph, 
with one rower, 6 fr. ; with two men, 
10 fr. 

There is not much to engage the 
sight-seer at Vevey, but every rising 
ground produces in new combinations 
the glorious views over the lake. The 



ROUTE A. 



E. EXD OF 



THE LAKE OF GENEVA. 



247 



.church of St. Martin, just above the 
town, is visited for the sake of the view. 
It contains the tombs of Ludlow, the 
regicide, and his companions in exile, 
Broughton, Love, and Cawley. Near 
the landing-place of the steamers is a 
Jarge new building, in modern sham- 
gothic style, called Palais Couvreu, 
which is opened to the public by its 
owner on two or three days of the week, 
and seen at other times with a fee to 
the servant. Once in every 15 or 16 
years a curious festival, dating from a 
remote antiquity, is held here at the 
vintage season. Greek myth and 
sacred history have been laid under 
contribution to supply the personages 
represented by the guild of vintners, 
styled Abbaie des Vignerons. On a hill 
NE. of Yevey is the Chateau de 
Blonay, said to have remained in the 
family of its present owners for 700 
years, commanding a noble view, and 
farther E. towards Montreux is another 
castle called Chatelard. The beautiful 
pass of the Plan de Jaman, between 
Chateau d'Oex and Vevey, is described 
in § 22. 

In travelling by railway from Vevey 
to Villeneuve most of the beautiful 
scenery is lost, and those who have but 
little time to visit the neighbourhood 
should at least prefer the steamer. The 
narrow space between the mountains 
and the lake is populous with many 
hamlets, and a large number of separate 
country houses and villas. The names 
of Clarens and Montreux have been 
constantly celebrated both in prose and 
verse, but there are several other ham- 
lets not inferior in position. The num- 
ber of pensions opened here for the 
reception of strangers is so great, and 
changes so frequently occur, that a 
person intending to spend any time 
here should endeavour to obtain recent 
local information from some trust- 
worthy quarter. The first point to be 
decided, according to the season and 
the taste of each visitor, is between the 
pensions which stand near the level of 
the lake and those that have been 
opened on the slopes of the mountain 



or in the little valley which mounts 
towards the Plan de Jaman. Of those 
below, the Pension Vaultier, in the 
village of Montreux, the Hotel des Alpes 
at Territet, by the side of the high-road, 
and the Pension Penet at Clarens, 
have been well recommended. At 
least twenty others might be named. 
The finest site for those who seek 
mountain air is Grion, about 1 hr. 
above Montreux. There are several 
pensions here, of which the largest is 
called Righi Vaudois. It was formerly 
well kept, but is said to be much fallen 
off. The pension of E. Dufour-L>ela- 
rottaz at Brett, also about 1 hr. above 
Montreux, is said to be good and 
finely situated. A passing traveller, 
wishing to remain a few days, may 
find very fair accommodation at the 
Hotel du Cygne at Vernex, near the 
shore of the lake. 

Rather more than halfway from 
Montreux to Villeneuve is the celebrated 
castle of Chillon, little altered from the 
form in which it is represented by some 
early German master in a picture in 
the Munich Gallery. The architecture 
is no way striking ; but the extreme 
beauty of the site, and the many associa- 
tions linked with the piace, make it an 
object of interest to almost every 
traveller, and few fail to pay it a visit. 

Quite at the end of the lake, but on 
the E. side of the Rhone, is 

Villeneuve (Inns : H. du Port, clean 
and reasonable ; Aigle Noir), lying at 
the N. extremity of a tract of flat 
alluvial soil, extending from near Bex 
to the present border of the lake. The 
belief that the ancient bed of the lake 
has to this extent been filled up by the 
detritus of the Rhone, which needs no 
external evidence to the mind of the 
geologist, is confirmed by the identifica- 
tion of Port Valais, a place now ljm; 
from the lake, with the Portus Valesiae 
of the Romans. Drainage has done 
much to correct the unhealthy character 
of the place; but persons sleeping here 
should abstain from open windows. 

On rising ground near the lake, and 
i about J m. from Villeneuve, is the Hotel 



248 PENNINE ALPS. § 18. 

Byron, a handsome well-kept house, 
one of the most agreeable stopping- 
places in this beautiful neighbourhood. 
Passing travellers are charged hotel 
prices; those who remain more than a 
week, en pension, pay 7^- fr. a day in 
summer, 5^- fr. in winter. Many agree- 
able walks and drives may be made 
from hence or from Montreux. Among 
the longer excursions may be recom- 
mended the ascent of the Rocker de 
Naye, or that of the Dent de Jaman, 
the drive to Sepey in the valley of 
OrmondDessous, both described in § 22, 
or on the S. side of the lake the ascent 
of the Dent d'Oche from St. Gingolph 
or Bouveret, reached by boat. 

Throughout the way from Yilleneuve 
to Bex, the opposite peaks of the Dent 
de Morcles and the Dent du Midi con- 
tinue to attract the attention of the 
mountaineer. The former, rising 9,000 
ft. from the level of the valley, is 
one of the most imposing in the Alps. 
(See § 17, Rte. H.) At Aigle (Inns ; 
H. du Midi ; Croix Blanche) the road 
to Sepey and the Col de Pillon turns 
off to the 1. 

Bex (pronounced Be) (Inns: H. de 
rUnion, pretty good) is a large village of 
some importance, from the baths which 
are frequented by strangers in summer- 
time, and from the extensive salt mines 
about 2 m. distant, whose annual pro- 
duce was largely increased under the 
management of the late M. Charpentier, 
the eminent Swiss geologist, to whose 
writings, at first received with incredu- 
lity and ridicule, we mainly owe the re- 
cognition of the important part played 
by glaciers in the past history of the 
earth. The mode of extracting the 
salt from the solution in which it is 
associated with gypsum is similar to 
that employed at Salins (§ 11, Rte. A). 
Tickets to visit the mines are procured 
at an office in the village. About 
4 hrs. are required for the visit. Some 
rare minerals from the salt mines may 
be purchased at Bex. A family of 
naturalists, named Thomas, has long 
resided here, whose members made ! 
large collections of dried plants (and | 



ST. BERNARD DISTRICT. 




insects ?) throughout the Swiss Alps, 
and in different parts of Italy, which 
were disposed of on moderate terms. 
One of the family survives, and keeps 
collections for sale, which are far better 
worth the attention of the botanist than 
those sold at Chamouni, Interlaken, 
and other places of general resort. 

1 The neighbourhood of Bex abounds 
in pensions and little mountain inns, 
where fine scenery, pure air, and 
tolerable living are obtained at a very 
cheap rate. That of Madame Bernard 
above Frenieres, the Chalet Amiguet 
Chesieres, and the house of Madame 
Rosen at Ollen, all deserve to be men- 
tioned ' — [M.] Other stopping-place3 
more attractive to the mountaineer are 
noticed in § 22, where the chief ex- 
cursions from Bex are incidentally de- 
scribed. 

Immediately S. of Bex the Rhone 
valley is contracted to a mere defile, 
which extends for several miles between 
the Dent du Midi and the Dent de 
Morcles. At the N. end of the defile 
is a fine bridge, said to rest on Roman 
foundations, which spans the Rhone by 
a single arch of 70 ft., marking the 
spot where the road and the river, here 
carried through the rock, are forced to 
quit the rt. bank, and seek a further 
passage through the little town of 

St. Maurice (Inn : L'Union), pro- 
bably the Roman Agaunum, a very 
poor-looking place, whose houses are 
crowded into the narrow space between 
the mountain and the river. It owes 
its name to the tradition which fixes 
this as the site of the martyrdom of 
St. Maurice and his companions of the 
Theban Legion in 302. The Augustinian 
Abbey, said to be the most ancient 
N. of the Alps, was for centuries one 
of the most famous in Christen- 
dom, having been richly endowed in 
the 6th century by Sigismund, King 
of Burgundy. The treasury contains 
several very curious objects. A gold 
crozier of most elaborate workmanship, 
an agate cup of ancient Greek work, a 
chalice given by Queen Bertha of 
Burgundy, a copy of the Gospels, and 



SOUTE A. MARTIGNY. 



249 



an ampoule of Saracenic handiwork, 
both given by Charlemagne, are among 
the articles shown to strangers. At 
St. Maurice the branch of the Ouest 
Suisse Hallway from Lausanne joins 
the Ligne d'ltalie from Bouveret to 
Sion, and those who pass from one line 
to the other must change carriages here. 

On the opposite side of the Rhone, 
in a picturesque position under the 
Dent de Morcles, are the baths of Lavey. 
The waters are said to owe their 
medicinal effects to the presence of 
free nitrogen. On the 1. bank, after 
quitting St. Maurice, the hermitage of 
Notre Dame da Sax is seen at a great 
height on the face of the rock. It is 
not easy to guess how access to it was 
originally gained. The chapel of 
Veriolaz, covered with frescoes, is sup- 
posed to mark the exact spot of the 
massacre of .the Theban Legion. On 
the way to Evionnaz, the high-road 
traverses the site of the great mud 
avalanche of 1835. A violent thunder- 
storm, in which the lightning is said to 
have struck the peak of the Dent du 
Midi several times, accompanied by 
heavy rain, seems to have detached a 
considerable mass near the summit of 
the ridge. This descended towards 
the E., accompanied by a mass 
of glacier. The rock, composed 
of a soft shaly limestone, probably 
saturated with water, seems to have 
broken up rapidly into a sort of coarse 
mud, in which huge blocks of harder 
stone were carried along. After pass- 
ing through a pine forest, which yielded 
as if the trees were straw in a stubble- 
field, the current, moving very slowly, 
advanced through the cultivated district 
at the foot of the mountain, carrying 
houses and trees before it, and finally 
reached the high-road, which it covered 
for about a furlong, interrupting the 
communication for some time. 

Evionnaz, a poor village and railway 
station, stands on the site of the Roman 
Epaunum, which was destroyed in the 
6th century by a similar mud avalanche. 
Among the causes which have con- 
tributed to give the population of the 



Valais an appearance of marked in- 
feriority to that of the Canton de Yaud, 
it is fair to reckon the poverty of the 
soil and the exposure of the main 
valley and its chief tributaries to visita- 
tions of the elements that in a brief 
space destroy the fruits of human 
industry. One of the latest of these 
was the flood of September, 1852, 
which laid under water all the low 
ground between Martigny and St. 
Maurice, covering the fields with sand 
and gravel. Between the Evionnaz 
station and that of Vernayaz is the 
waterfall of the Salanfe, called Pisse- 
vache. It is a fine fall, especially after 
rain, and very easy of access, being 
close to the high-road; but those who 
attempt a near approach are liable to 
be wet by the fine spray, which forms a 
brilliant iris when seen on a fine 
morning. About 1 m. farther S., at 
Vernayaz, the path leading to Salvent 
and the Tete Noire turns off to SW. 
The Trient torrent here issues from a 
narrow cleft of great depth. A wooden 
gallery has been built to enable 
strangers to gain a good view of this 
remarkable gorge : charge for entrance, 
1 fr. A rocky eminence crowned by 
the ruined castle of La Batie, built by 
Peter of Savoy in 1260, and burnt by 
George Supersax in 1518, overlooks 
the town of 

Martigny (Inns : Hotel Clerc, very 
good ; Grande Maison, good and 
reasonable ; H. de la Tour, fallen off ; 
Cygne, very fair, but second rate), 
near to the right angle formed by 
the Rhone, flowing WSW. from 
Brieg, and NNE. from hence to the 
Lake of Geneva. Standing at the con- 
fluence of the Dranse, which descends 
towards NNE. from the Great St. 
Bernard, and at the junction of the 
most frequented route from Chamouni, 
Martigny is necessarily a place of great 
resort to Alpine travellers. It possesses 
however, few attractions of its own ; 
its position is low and hot, and the 
tract of marshy ground N. of the town, 
at the junction of the Dranse with the 
Rhone, cannot contribute to make it 



250 PENNINE ALPS. § 18. 

more healthy. An excursion which 
may be recommended to any one in- 
voluntarily detained here is the ascent 
of a mountain called Pierre a Voir 
( 8,124'), in the range between the Val 
de Bagnes and the Rhone. A horse 
or mule may be taken as far as the 
base of the highest ridge ; charge 
from Martigny, 8 fr. The panorama is 
said to be extremely fine, and it includes 
portions both of the Bernese and the 
Pennine Alps, not well seen from any 
of the more frequented points of view. 

There is now a good carriage-road 
from Martigny to St. Pierre, nearly 
20 m., and a rough road, practicable 
for chars, for 3 or 4 m. farther to the 
Cantine de Proz. From thence to St. 
Remy, where chars are found to con- 
tinue the way to Aosta, the pass must 
be made on mules or on foot. The 
lower part of the way lies through a 
hot valley, and pedestrians will do 
better to hire a vehicle or else avail 
themselves of the diligence or omnibus 
which starts daily from Martigny for 
Liddes at 9 a.m. A char holding three 
persons costs 15 fr. to Liddes. Those 
who visit the hospice, and return to 
Martigny, may engage a char to the 
Cantine, use the horse to ride from 
thence to the hospice, and return on 
the following day — charge, 30 fr. ; 
charge for a char from St. Remy to 
Aosta, 10 fr. for one, 14 fr. for two 
travellers. Guides are not required, 
except in bad weather, unless it be to 
carry the traveller's knapsack. The 
Martigny tariff fixes the following 
charges : to Orsieres, 5 fr. ; to Liddes, 
6 fr. ; to St. Pierre, 9 fr. ; to the 
Hospice, 12 fr. ; to St. Remy, in one 
day, 12 fr., or if reached early on the 
second day, 15 fr. ; if taken for several 
days, 6 fr. per day, including the num- 
ber of days necessary to return to 
Martigny. 

About 1 m. from the town, which is 
called for distinction Martigny la Ville, 
is Martigny le Bourg, where the road 
crosses the Dranse, and the path to 
Chamouni by the Eorclaz (§ 16, Rte. H) 
turns off to the rt. The road, following 



ST. BERNARD DISTRICT. 

the bend of the river, soon comes in sight 
of the Mont Catogm (8,46V), lying in the 
direct way to Orsieres and the head of 
the valley. The road and the river 
wind round its E. base, while a path 
mounting from a group of houses called 
Valettes, about 1^ m. beyond the Bourg, 
passes on the W. side of the mountain, 
and leads by an easy Col to the Lac de 
Champey and Orsieres (§ 16, Rte. I), 
This way is to a pedestrian far prefer- 
able to the high-road, but it is quite a 
mistake to suppose that, as stated in a 
recent guide-book, time is saved by it, 
the contrary being the case. After 
passing the poor village of Boternier, 
the road returns to the rt. bank, and 
proceeds through a wild defile at the 
base of the Mont Catogne, where at 
one point it is carried through a 
tunnel 215 ft. long. This part of the 
valley still exhibits traces of the terrible 
inundation of 1818 (see Rte. D), and 
immediately beyond the tunnel the 
traveller may notice the remains of a 
convent which was destroyed by the 
flood. The road again crosses to the 
1. bank to 

St Branchier {Inn : La Croix), a 
poor village at the meeting of the E. 
branch of the Dranse, flowing from the 
Yal de Bagnes, with the W. branch 
descending from the St. Bernard pass 
through the Val d'Entremont The 
scenery from hence to Liddes is pleas- 
ing, but not of a striking character. 
The ruins of several castles are seen 
near St. Branchier, and it is told by 
some annalist that one of them was 
considerable enough to lodge the 
Emperor Sigismund with a suite of 
800 knights. The road again crosses 
the Dranse, and returns to the 1. bank 
before reaching 

Orsier-es (Inns : H. des Alpes, clean 
and comfortable ; Couronne ; Lion), 
the chief village of the valley (2,894'), 
close to the junction of the Dranse de 
Eerret with the Dranse d'Entremont, 
and at the meeting of the routes to 
Courmayeur, by the Col de Eerret, and 
those to Chamouni, by the Lac de 
I Champey and Trient or by the Glacier 



ROUTE A. LIDDES. 



251 



da Tour. Throughout the lower part 
of the Val d'Entremont the botanist 
will be interested by observing the 
presence of many plants usually 
characteristic of a warm climate, along 
with sub- Alpine species that have 
descended from the neighbouring moun- 
tains. Thus he may mid Vesicaria 
utriculata. Ononis natrix, and O. rotun- 
difolia, Astragalus onobrychis, Vicia 
onobrychoides, Caucalis grandiflora, 
Onosma montanum, Antirrhinum Bau- 
hini, Euphrasia lutea, Campanula 
bononiensis, Stipa capillata, Bromus 
squarrosus, and B. tectorum, along with 
Sempervivum arachnoideum, Scutellaria 
alpina, Juniperus sabina, Goody era 
repens, Poa alpina, &c. 

From Orsieres the road begins to 
ascend more rapidly, winding up the 
E. slope of the valley, where the 
pedestrian may make several short cuts 
to 

Liddes (Inns : H. d'Angleterre, tole- 
rable ; L'Union, indifferent, dear ; and 
several small unattractive houses fre- 
quented by guides and char-drivers), 
4,390 ft. above the sea; but the valley 
is warm, and cultivation does not seem 
to suffer. The omnibus from hence to 
Martigny starts, or did start, at 2 p.m. 
Return chars may generally be had for 
about 8fr, but more is demanded. A 
mule from hence to the hospice costs 
6 fr. The ascent continues rather steep to 

St Pierre, also called Bourg St. 
Pierre (Inn; Au Dejeuner de Napoleon, 
tolerable), a miserable- looking village 
(5,358'), where the road formerly 
ceased, and where, in the famous 
passage of Napoleon's army in May, 
1800, the formidable difficulties of the 
route were first experienced. The 
little village contains various records of 
the early importance of the pass. A 
Roman column cf the reign of the 
younger Constantine, still standing 
near the church, was perhaps merely a 
milestone. An inscription by Bishop 
Hugo of Geneva, who built the present 
church in 10 10, records the repulse of 
the Saracens, who had crossed the pass 
fifty years before. 



The brothers Ballay, of St. Pierre, 
are recommended as bold mountaineers 
and good guides for the ascent of the 
Combin and the glacier passes of this 
neighbourhood (see Rtes. E and F) 

Above St. Pierre the road crosses a 
deep gorge, through which the torrent 
from the Valsorey glacier descends to 
join the Dranse. A little higher up on 
the 1. it forms a fine waterfall. The 
old tortuous and uneven track lay 
through a pine forest; but the new road, 
partly cut in the rock, mounts by 
a gradual ascent, at a great height 
above the Dranse, to the Cantine de Proz 
(5,9120) where tolerable night-quarters 
may be found by those who would 
make the ascent of the Velan. The 
former landlord, Andre Dorsaz, a well- 
known guide, died of fever in 1857 ; 
his son is said to be also a good guide 
(see Rte. C). The Cantine stands in a 
little stony plain, above which, on the 
L hand, is seen a part of the Glacier de 
Proz. When this plain is traversed, 
the mule- track winds up the rugged 
but not very steep face of the mountain, 
keeping about due S. The scenery is 
rather wild than grand, as the path is 
for the most part shut in among 
rocks, often interspersed with patches 
of snow. A cross by the wayside marks 
the spot where one of the brethren and 
three servants were lost in an avalanche, 
in Nov., 1845. The most considerable 
snow-patch, lying in a hollow where it 
scarcely ever melts, is passed, and a 
few minutes farther the traveller finds 
himself on the crest of the pass, and close 
to the Hospice of the Great St. Bernard. 
The pass lies in a depression between 
the Mont Chenalettaz and the Mont 
Mort (9,403'), directed from NE. to 
SW. The massive stone building is 
therefore exposed to the full force of 
the wind, from those opposite quarters, 
while partially sheltered in other 
directions. It consists of stabling and 
store-houses on the ground floor ; the 
first floor is occupied by various offices 
and by the chapel ; on the second floor 
are the refectory, drawing-room, and 
the rooms in which 70 or 80 strangers 



252 



PENNINE ALPS. § 18. ST. BERNARD DISTRICT. 



can be lodged. An adjoining house, 
called Hotel St. Louis, is chiefly intended 
as a refuge in case of need, the hospice 
having twice been partially destroyed 
by fire. Near at hand is the Morgue, 
a low building, the ghastly contents of 
which may be inspected through a 
grated window. Here the bodies of 
travellers who have perished on the 
pass are kept until claimed by their 
relatives. Formerly the number was 
considerable ; but of late years all those 
who have died have been claimed, so 
that no addition has been made to the 
repository. At this height the dryness 
of the air and the severe cold cause 
the bodies to shrivel without decomposi- 
tion. 

To attempt a sketch of the history of 
the pass and of the hospice, from the 
period of the Celtic Veragri, who built 
here a temple or sanctuary, to that of 
the passage by Napoleon's army in 
1800, does not enter into the plan of 
this work. The site of the Roman 
temple to Jupiter Penninus is still 
marked by stone steps cut into the 
rock, but no part of the building 
remains. The foundation of the present 
hospice, under the care of ecclesiastics 
resident throughout the year, by St. 
Bernard of Menthon, in 962, was pre- 
ceded by some earlier refuge for 
travellers annexed to a chapel or 
hermitage, which existed as early as 
851. In King's 'Italian Valleys of the 
Pennine Alps,' and Erockedon's ' Passes | 
of the Alps,' the reader may find much 
interesting information. 

The community consists of 40 Au- 
gustinian canons, of whom 10 or 12 
reside here, others are placed at the 
hospice on the Simplon, and those 
whose health no longer permits them to 
face the severe Alpine winters, a result 
which commonly happens after 12 or 
15 years' residence at the hospice, remain 
in a branch house at Martigny. The 
number of travellers annually crossing 
the pass varies from 16,000 to 20,000, 
and a large proportion of the poorer 
class go by in winter or early spring, 
when, without the shelter and assistance 



obtained at the hospice, the pass would 
be practically impossible. The large 
majority are sheltered and fed gratui- 
tously, and no demand is made from 
any traveller; but it is understood that 
those who can afford it should give 
at least as much as they would in a 
regular hotel. The property of the 
community has been very much reduced 
during the present century, and their 
means of relieving poor travellers pro- 
portionately restricted. 

Visitors are received by the Clavan- 
dier, or Bursar, who presides at the 
table, which is laid in a separate room 
for ladies and for gentlemen travelling 
in their company. Others dine and 
sup wilh the monks in the refectory. 
The food is plain, but quite sufficient, 
and the beds are clean, and as comfort- 
able as can be expected in so exposed 
a situation. Travellers all acknowledge 
the courtesy and attention with which 
they are received. The albums, con- 
taining the names of many distinguished 
persons, a small assortment of books, 
and some collections of natural history, 
including the plants and minerals of 
the neighbourhood, will help to pass 
some hours, in case travellers should 
be detained by bad weather. 

Irrespective of its primary mission of 
charity, the community has incidentally 
performed some services to science, 
especially by the maintenance of a re- 
gular series of meteorological observa- 
tions, continued for many years, and 
published in the Biblioiheque Universelie 
of Geneva. Besides their importance 
as throwing light upon the physics of 
the Alps, these are of peculiar value to 
all persons engaged in hy psora etrical 
enquiries in the central region of the 
Alps. There is reason to believe that 
the main source of error in the deter- 
mination of heights by the barometer, 
arising from the disturbing influence of 
the soil upon the indications of the ther- 
mometer is far less sensible when com- 
parisons are made with this station 
rather than with places at a low level, 
such as Geneva, Aosta, Turin, &c, 
and on this account M. Plantamour 



ROUTE A. 



HOSPICE OF THE GREAT ST. BERNARD. 



253 



contends that the best approximation 
to the height of Alpine peaks in this 
region is obtained by attributing to the 
measurement ascertained by comparison 
with the St. Bernard four times the 
value of those derived from comparison 
with Geneva or Aosta. The exact height 
of the cistern of the barometer at the 
hospice, found by M. Plantamour after 
careful levelling from Geneva, is 8,131 
ft. This may be taken to agree within 
a few ft. with the height of the pass. 
The mean temperature of the year at 
the hospice is somewhat below freezing 
point. That of the three winter months 
is 1 5° Fahr., that of summer, 48°. The 
greatest cold recorded is — 29°, and the 
greatest heat 68°. The snow usually 
lies for 9 months unmeited, but there 
have been seasons when not a week has 
passed without fresh snow. 

Travellers intent upon Alpine expedi- 
tions should be aware that it is not 
possible to obtain breakfast until after 
mass, which is not over until about 

6 A.M. 

It has at various times been proposed 
to continue the carriage-road from 
St. Pierre to Aosta by the hospice. 
The chief objection to this project 
arises from the steepness of the descent 
from the summit to St. Remy, and a 
rival plan was adopted a few years ago 
which would make the road pass by the 
Col de Menouve, between the present 
pass and the Mont Yelan. This is 
about 1,200 ft. higher than the St. 
Bernard, but it was proposed to avoid 
the upper part by a tunnel 1^ m. in 
length, to be opened at 7,145 ft. above 
the sea. The works were commenced 
some years ago, but were suspended 
owing to financial difficulties ( see Rte. C). 

Before leaving the Hospice travellers 
will enquire for the celebrated dogs, 
of which two or three are often to be 
seen about the entrance. They are very 
powerful animals; but it is said that 
since the loss of several in 1825, the 
purity of the race has not been main- 
tained. The chief use of the dogs is 
to find the way in the midst of the 
deep snow, when, during the winter, 



two or three lay-brethren descend daily 
a certain distance on either side of the 
pass, to guide and assist poor travellers 
who are forced to make the passage in 
that season. 

For those who spend a fine afternoon 
or morning at the Hospice, the ascent 
of the Chenalettaz or the Mont Mort 
is to be recommended. Either may be 
reached in less than an hour. The 
view of the Mont Blanc range, in 
which the peak of the Grandes 
Jorasses is here the most conspi- 
cuous, well rewards the slight trouble 
of the ascent. The view from the 
Pointe de Dronaz is more extensive, 
but the ascent requires much more 
time. 

On the side of Italy the Hospice 
overlooks a small lake, beyond which 
is seen a part of the range between the 
Yal de Bosses (Rte. B) and the Yal 
Ferret, in which a conical summit, called 
Pain de Sucre, is prominent. At the 
side of the lake, a column marks the 
boundary between Switzerland and 
Italy, and the path, which soon begins 
to descend rapidly, winding round the 
mountain to the 1., gradually opens out 
a view to the S-, where trees and 
cultivation again meet the eyes of the 
traveller. In a green basin of Alpine 
pasturage is the Yacherie, where the 
monks keep their cows in summer. 
The botanist, who will find near the 
Hospice many of the characteristic 
species of the High Alps, and some 
rareties, e. g. Carex microstyla, may 
gather several uncommon plants in the 
descent towards St. Remy, and espe- 
cially Pedicular is atroruhens, and several 
scarce lichens. The descent from the 
Yacherie is rather steep to 

St. Remy, a poor village with a tole- 
rable little inn, the Italian custom-house 
station. Those who carry more than a 
small number of cigars will do well to de- 
clare them, as the regulations are strict. 
[For the path to Courmayeur see Rte. B.] 
Most travellers hire a char here for the 
descent to Aosta, throughout which the 
rapid change in the vegetation is very 
striking. This is particularly the case 



254 



PENNINE ALPS. § 18. 



ST. BERNARD DISTRICT. 



when, after passing St. Oyen and Etrou- 
blcs, the road reaches Gignod, near the 
junction of the main stream of the 
Buttier, proceeding from Val Pellina 
with the lesser stream from the Yal de 
Bosses; the fine chestnut trees and the 
richness of the trellised vines, contrasted 
with the snowy summits of the Yal Pel- 
lina or the Yal deCo^ne, form pictures of 
extreme beauty. A little farther on, 
at the base of the fine peak of the 
Becca di Nona, the traveller gains his 
first view of 
Aosta (see § 15, Rte. A). 

Route B, 

HOSPICE OF THE GREAT ST. BERNARD 
TO COURMAYEUR. 

In descending from the great St. 
Bernard towards Aosta, the traveller 
has on his rt. hand a range running 
from NE. to SW., whose highest 
summit is the Grande Rossere (10,904'), 
separating him from the Piedmontese 
Yal Ferrex, and facing him another 
lower range running nearly due E. and 
W., which forms the N. boundary of 
the Yal d' Aosta. The valley lying 
bptween these ranges is the Val de 
Bosses. It is traversed by a branch 
of the Buttier, which flowing E. joins 
near Gignod the main branch of that 
stream, descending to SW. from the 
Yal Pellina ; and the united streams, 
after draining the S. side of the 
Pennine range from the Mont Collon 
nearly to Courmayeur, are united to 
the Dora Baltea under the walls of 
Aosta. Three ways present them- 
selves to the traveller who would go 
from the St. Bernard to Courmayeur 
without making: the considerable detour 
by Aosta. The first, avoiding any 
considerable descent, keeps along the 
ridge W. of the Hospice, and joins the 
Yal Ferrex above the Chalets de Ferrex 
on the Swiss side of the Col. The 
second descends to the Yacherie or 
to Sr. Remy, and thence gains the 
Col de la Serena at the W. end of the 



Yal de Bosses. The third route crosses 
the Yal de Bosses opposite to St. 
Remy, and mounts to the Col de 
Yertosan, which gives access to the 
Yal cl' Aosta between Ivrogne and La 
Salle. 

1. By the Col de la Fenetre. 8^ 
hrs. or 9^ hrs. when taken from Cour- 
mayeur. 

The way is pretty well tra,ced, as it 
is daily traversed in summer by the 
mules employed to carry wood from 
the Yal Ferrex to the Hospice. In 
cloudy weather, especially if there be 
any risk of a snow-storm, a guide is 
indispensable. The summit of Col de 
la Fenetre is about 1^- hr. from the 
Hospice. From thence the track lies 
over high broken ground, passing near 
some small tarns, then descends, and 
finally joins that from Orsieres to the Coi 
de Ferrex (§ 16, Rte. K), a short way 
above the Chalets de Ferrex. About 4% 
brs. will suffice from the Hospice to reach 
the Col de Ferrex, from whence the de- 
scent to Courmayeur is made in 4 hrs 
The advantage of this route is in the fine 
view of the range of Mont Blanc from 
the Col de Ferrex. It may serve to 
vary the way back to Martigny for one 
who has mounted from thence to the 
Hospice, and desires to return into 
Switzerland. He may descend direct 
from the Chalets de Banderai to 
Orsieres in about 4 hrs., or, by a detour 
of hr., he may mount to the Col 
de Ferrex, enjoy the view, and then 
descend to Orsieres. 

This pass is not to be confounded 
with the Col de Fenetre at the head of 
the Yal de Barnes (Rte. D), nor with 
the Col de la Eenetre above Susa 
(§ 5, Rte. B). 

The editor has no information re- 
specting the Col de St. Remy, said to 
connect the head of the V^al de Bosses 
with the Piedmontese Yal Ferrex. It 
is also said to be longer than the Col 
de la Serena, but it ought to command 
a fine view of the least known portion 
of the Mont Blanc range — that between 
the Grandes Jorasses and the Mont 
Dolent. 



ROUTE C. — ST. PIERRE TO AOSTA. 



255 



The head of the Val de Bosses is 
apparently the best side for under- 
taking the ascent of the Grande JRossere 
(10,904'). Though quite neglected by 
tourists, this must be one of the finest 
points for a view of the Mont Blanc 
range. It is said to be easy of access 
on the S. side, and was used as a 
trigonometrical station by the Pied- 
montese engineers. The Mont Carmel 
(9,057'), also called Mont Cormet, lies 
between the Grande Rossere and 
Courmayeur or Morgex. In height 
and position it is the counterpart of the 
Cramont, but is rarely, if ever, visited. 

2. By the Col de la Serena. From 
7 to 9 hrs. 

This is not a very interesting walk, 
but it offers the easiest way for those 
bound from the Hospice to Courmayeur, 
the track noticed below from the 
Yacherie being the shortest way be- 
tween those places. 

The shortest course for a pedestrian 
is to follow a path which turns to the 
rt. close to the Yacherie of the Hospice, 
and, winding round the slopes of the 
mountains, reaches the chalet at the foot 
of the Col de la Serena, where it joins 
the regular track. This is a considera- 
ble short-cut, but is fatiguing, and 
requires a local guide. A good walker 
may easily get to Courmayeur this 
way in 7 hrs. The ordinary route, 
which is passable for mules, descends 
as far as St. Remy on the way towards 
Aosta. 4 You there take the road to 
the rt. to the village of Bosses, then 
through fields for J hr., and you arrive 
at the foot of the Col. Half an hr.'s 
ascent through a pine-forest brings you 
to the last chalet, where milk and cheese 
may be obtained as long as the cows 
are on the mountain. Here, instead of 
following a road to the rt., go up the 
mountain by a zigzag path immediately 
behind the chalet, and lj hr.'s good 
walking will land you on the top of the 
Col. This part of the road is exceed- 
ingly steep, but the view from the sum- 
mit well rewards your labour. The 
scenery is very wild, especially towards 
the N. and NVV., offering a great con- 



trast to the beautifully cultivated valley 
of Aosta, which shortly afterwards 
(just above the village of Morges) you 
see extended at your feet. From Morses 
to Morgex, on the high-road between 
Aosta and Courmayeur, is a walk down 
a stony path of about ^ hr. Thence 
to Courmayeur 2 hrs. walk ; in all 
about 9 hrs'. from the Hospice.' The 
Serena abounds with ptarmigan and 
chamois. The height of the Col is 
about 7,400 ft. 

3. By the Colde Vertosan. This pass 
leads from the Val de Bosses into the 
Val d'Aosta, close to the bridge where 
the high-road crosses to the rt. bank of 
the Dora, between La Salle and Ivrogne. 
It is very little used, as it offers a cir- 
cuitous route for those going from the 
Yal de Bosses to Courmayeur. It 
would, however, be the shortest way for 
a traveller bound for the Yal Grisanche, 
or for the pass leading from Derby to 
Ste. Marguerite. See § 15, Rtes. B & 
C. The Col de Yertosan is said to be 
about 200 ft. lower than that of Serena. 
[Further information is desired.] 



Route C. 

ST. PIERRE TO AOSTA, BY THE COL DE 

MENOUVE ASCENT OE THE MONT 

VELAN. 

As mentioned in Rte. A, the Swiss 
authorities adopted some years ago a 
plan for carrying a carriage-road from 
Martigny to Aosta by the Col de. 
Menouve, through a tunnel consider- 
ably below the summit of that pass, 
which lies about half way between the 
hospice of the Great St. Bernard and 
the Mont Yelan. The latter mountain, 
though not often ascended, is extremely 
well worth the attention of mountain- 
eers, as it commands one of the finest 
views in the Alps, and is attainable 
without risk or much fatigue. It is 
accessible from the Yalsorey, which 
joins the Yal d'Entremont close to 
St. Pierre, or by a more direct and 
rather steeper course from the Cantine 



256 



PENNINE ALPS. § 18. 



ST. BERNARD DISTRICT. 



de Proz, at the termination of the 
carriage-road leading towards the 
St. Bernard. Starting from the latter 
place, or even from St. Pierre, an active 
mountaineer may easily make the 
ascent, and then cross the Col de 
Menouve, so as to reach Aosta on the 
same evening. Either of the brothers 
Ballay, of St. Pierre, or Dorsaz, the 
son of the late Andre Dorsaz of the 
Cantine de Proz, or Pierre Victor 
Morey of St. Pierre, may be recom- 
mended as guides. For a party not 
consisting of practised ice-men, it 
would be advisable to take one guide 
for each traveller. Dorsaz expects 
20 fr. for the ascent, returning to the 
Val d'Entremont. If taken to Aosta 
he would naturally demand more. 

Ascending the grassy slopes on the 
1. of the track to St. Bernard, about 
i hr. from the Cantine, the way to the 
Velan lies up a stony waste, above the 
rt. bank of the torrent, to the foot of 
the Glacier de Proz. also called Glacier 
de Menouve, which flows from the NW. 
base of the mountain. The Mont 
Velan, as seen on the N. and W. side, 
is a snowy dome, nearly flat at the top, 
but steep on the side where it is ribbed 
by projecting edges of sharp rock, that 
stand out from the surface of the neve. 
The Glacier de Proz is reached in 
2J hrs. from the Cantine, and nearly an 
hour more is occupied in ascending to its 
upper end. It is little crevassed, and 
presents no difficulty save a wide 
chasm or bergschrund, marking the line 
along which the glacier annually detaches 
itself from the neve of the mountain. 
Over this a snow-bridge is usually to 
be found, and the remainder of the 
ascent is made along some of the 
rocky ridges which reach near to the 
summit of the dome. The axe is here 
called into play, and the way is in 
parts so steep that the guides usually 
prefer to descend by the Valsorey 
glacier. The summit of the Velan 
(12,353'), reached in 6 hrs. from the 
Cantine, including a halt for break- 
fast, is thought by some excellent judges 
to command the finest view in the Pen- 



nine Alps. If rather less central as 
regards the main chain than the Becca 
di Nona, or Mont Emilius, this is 
counterbalanced by the view of the 
Bernese Alps, and of part of the 
Lake of Geneva, which unexpect- 
edly enters into the panorama. If 
the traveller should not intend to cross 
the Col de Menouve, he will do well to 
descend from the Velan by the Glacier 
de Valsorey, lying on its NE. slope in 
the direction of the Grand Combin, an 
extremely grand object when seen from 
this side. The upper part of the Val- 
sorey Glacier is steep, and much cre- 
vassed, and it is necessary to keep 
to the arete, overlooking the valley 
of Ollomont. After a considerable 
descent, the traveller gains the lower 
level of the glacier, which bends gradu- 
ally rather W. of N., receives on the rt. 
the ice- stream of the Glacier de Sona- 
don (Bte. F), and at the base of a lofty 
buttress joins the Glacier de Tzeudet, 
issuing from a hollow in the mountain 
to the S. In the angle between the 
latter ice-stream and that of Valsorey 
is a curious glacier lake, called Goille 
a Vassu, described by Saussure ( Voyages, 
ch. xlv.). It is said to be full of water 
in spring, and usually dry in summer. 
The descent to St. Pierre lies through 
the Valsorey, at first along the E. mo- 
raine, and then by a sheep-track along 
the rt. bank, with the Dent du Midi 
in the distant back-ground. Nearly 5 
hrs. are required to reach St. Pierre 
from the summit, unless the glacier be 
in very favourable condition. 

The Col de Menouve is 9,059 ft. in 
height, but the tunnel, 1 J m. in length, 
through which it was originally proposed 
to carry the road, was to have lain 1,414 
ft. below the crest of the pass. It was 
subsequently considered that owing to 
the exposure to avalanches, and the 
difficulty of the ground, even that height 
would be found excessive; and a second 
plan was proposed which would have 
placed the tunnel several hundred ft. 
lower, or at 6,827 ft. above the sealevel ; 
but this alteration in the plan involved the 
lengthening of the tunnel to 2 miles and 



ROUTE D. VAL DE BAGNES. 



257 



506 yards. The Italian Government is 
naturally indisposed to undertake so 
great a work while the Modane tunnel, 
and so many other great undertakings, 
are in hand ; and it is not likely that the 
Swiss unaided should achieve the pro- 
ject. 



Route D. 

MARTIGNY TO AOSTA, BY THE VAL DE 
BAGNES AND THE COL DE FENETRE. 

Hrs.' walking Eng. miles 



St. Branchier . 


• 2* 


n 


Chables 


• H 




Lourtier . . 


• 1* 




Torembec . . 


. 3 


P 


Chermontane . 


. 21 


7 


Col de Fenetre 




3 


Valpellina 


: ? 


10 


Aosta . . 




8 




m 


52| 



The two main branches of the Dranse 
flow through two nearly parallel valleys, 
the Val d'Entremont and the Val de 
Bagnes, and unite their waters near St. 
Branchier. Each is connected with the 
Val d' Aosta by a pass which, at least 
in summer, is quite free from difficulty. 
But the destiny of the two valleys has 
been widely different. The first has 
from the earliest times been one of the 
main channels of communication be- 
tween Switzerland and Italy, and is 
traversed annually by thousands of 
travellers ; while the second has con- 
tinued even to the present time to be 
one of the most neglected portions of 
the Alps, and were it not for the de- 
structive inundation which early in 
this century issued from the narrow 
mouth of the valley to carry destruction 
even below Martigny, the name of the 
Val de Bagnes would scarcely have 
been known to the outer world until 
the publications of Professor Forbes 
and of the Alpine Club made it tole- 
rably familiar to British readers. 

The main difficulty for mountaineers 
who may wish to explore the numerous 
peaks and glaciers which surround the 
Val de Bagnes is the absence of ac- 



commodation. At Chables there is a 
tolerable inn, but this is the only one 
in the entire valley. Elsewhere there 
is nothing but chalet fare — black bread, 
milk, and cheese, and hay, seldom dry, 
to sleep upon. It has been said that 
some enterprising native was about to 
open a little inn near the Pont de Mau- 
voisin below the foot of the Getroz 
glacier ; but the editor has not learned 
that the project has been accomplished. 
The point where such an inn is most 
to be desired is at the Chalets de 
Chermontane, at the upper end of the 
valley. Placed at the meeting of many 
glacier routes, and in the immediate 
neighbourhood of such fine points of 
view as the Mont Gele and the Mont 
Avril, an Alpine inn might rival the 
attractions of Heiligenblut or the 
Aeggischhorn. The very rare Crepis 
jubata was first discovered at the upper 
end of the Val de Bagnes. 

The people of the valley appear to 
be superior to their neighbours in the 
Val d'Entremont, goitre and cretinism 
being almost unknown. Strangers are 
kindly received, and chamois-hunting 
being a common pursuit, tolerably good 
guides for difficult excursions are easily 
found. They usually can speak intel- 
ligible French ; but the dialect of this 
and the valleys farther east, called by 
the German Swiss kauderwelsch, is an 
unknown tongue to most strangers. 
. From St. Branchier (lite. A) a char- 
road has been carried nearly 7 miles 
up the valley. It crosses the Dranse 
just below the junction of the two 
streams, and then proceeds along the 
rt. bank of the Dranse de Bagnes to 

Chables (Inn : Chez Perrodin, tole- 
rably good and reasonable), the chief 
village of the valley, picturesquely 
situated, and in the neighbourhood 
of some interesting scenery. The 
Pierre a Voir (8,124') is much 
nearer to this place than to Martigny, 
but the ascent would probably be 
much steeper. The Becca de Jazie 
(B. d'Evasie of Studer's map) S. of 
Chables, and immediately above Liddes. 
is said to be also a fine point of view. 



258 



PENNINE ALPS. § 18, ST. BERNARD DISTRICT. 



[A path leads from Chables to Ridde, 
in the valley of the Rhone, by the Col 
d'Etablon, also called Col de Yerbier. 
It lies E. of the Pierre a Voir, and is | 
apparently about 7,000 ft. in height. 
The way lies by the village of Ver- 
bier, whence a stream leads up to 
near the Col. On the X. side the 
descent lies at first over grassy slopes, I 
then through a zone of rhododen- 
dron and pine woods. After passing 
over a tract of sloping pastures a 
steeper declivity leads down to the 
village of Riddes. Large surfaces of j 
rock at a great height above the valley j 
are seen to be polished and striated by 
the gigantic glacier which once ex- 
tended from the Furca at least as far 
as the Lake of Geneva.] 

At Chables the road up the Val de 
Bagnes crosses the Dranse and comes to 
an end about 3 m. farther on, at Cnamp- 
sic. Beyond that place a mule-path, i 
returning to the rt. bank, leads to 
Lourtier (3.657 ')> the last of the nu- 
merous villages which are crowded 
together in the lower part of the valley. 
Though there is no inn. the people 
are hospitable, and a stranger may 
easily find quarters for the night ; but 
if averse to closeness and bad smells, 
he will do better to resort to the hay- j 
couch in some chalet higher up the 
valley, or push on to Chables if travel- 
ling in the opposite direction. Lour- 
tier may be reached direct from 
Sion by the Val de Nendaz % crossing 
the rugged ridge immediately N. of I 
the village. The distance from hence 
to the end of the Val de Bagnes | 
is at least 16 m., and there is pro- j 
bably none other in Switzerland which 
is for so great a distance devoid of 
permanent habitations. Those who j 
merely mean to pass through the valley 
over the Col de Fenetre, do not abso- j 
lutely require a local guide ; but if such 
be wanted, it is prudent to engage one : 
at Chables or at Lourtier. Bernard 
Trolliet was considered the best chamois 
hunter, and therefore the best guide 
for difficult expeditions. He is now 
rather past the age for active exertion. . 



The same may be said of Benjamin 
Felley, who was guide to Mr. W. 
Mathews and M. G. Snider in some 
of their expeditions in this district. A 
younger brother of the latter, by name 
Maurice Felley, and another man with 
the same surname — Francois Louis 
Felley — are probably the best. As the 
natives are often engaged in summer 
at distant chalets, a stranger must be 
prepared for some delay. 

Above Lourtier the path keeps to 
the rt bank, while the Dranse, charged 
with the drainage of ten consider- 
able glaciers, forces its way through 
a gorge narrower than those which have 
been passed in the lower parts of the 
valley. In little more than -J hr. the 
path reaches some chalets called 
Granges Neuves (4.843'), where the con- 
siderable stream from the Glacier de 
Corbassiere joins the Dranse (Rte. E). 
To the S.. in the angle between the 
two streams, is the summit of the 
Becca de Corbassiere (8,8910- which 
must command a fine view of the sur- 
rounding peaks and glaciers. [A little 
farther on a track turns off to the 1., and 
leads over the Col de Sever en to the 
Chalets de la Barma in the Yal Here- 
mence (§19. Rte. C). Information as 
to that pass is desired.] In about H 
hr. from Lourtier the traveller reaches 
the Pont de Afauvoisin, a solid stone 
bridge over the Dranse, which is here 
crossed, and the way thenceforward 
continues along the 1. bank. Near to 
the bridge it is proposed to build an 
inn, which might far more advantage- 
ously be placed at the head of the 
valley. The Mont Pleureur (12.159') 
now becomes a conspicuous object on 
the E. side of the valley, and through 
a narrow channel on the S. side is seen 
the lower end of the Glacier de Getroz, 
fed by the overflow from a vast plateau 
of neve that is not visible from below. 
This glacier has obtained a sad cele- 
brity from the formidable catastrophes 
of which it has been the cause. In 
1595 it had descended into the valley, 
and formed a barrier behind which 
the waters accumulated until they 



ROUTE D. — INUNDATION OF 1818. 



259 



burst, and swept through the valley 
below, carrying off 140 human beings 
with many houses and cattle. In 
the spring of 1818 the glacier again 
flowed down into the valley, forming a 
dam 400 ft. high, behind which the 
waters of the Dranse soon grew into a 
lake nearly 1^ m. in length. A re- 
newal of the former calamity seemed 
inevitable when an eminent engineer, 
M. Venetz, undertook to avert it by 
driving a tunnel through the ice- 
barrier. History records no nobler 
example of courage and endurance 
than that of the brave men who for 
34 days worked day and night, in mo- 
mentary peril of destruction, until the 
work was completed just as the waters 
of the lake had reached the level of 
the tunnel. The flow of water rapidly 
enlarged and lowered the opening, and 
in less than three days two-fifths of the 
water had safely run off through, the 
customary channel of the river. In 
the mean time, however, the dam had 
been weakened by the excavating ac- 
tion of the current, and on June 16 
it suddenly gave way. In half an 
hour, a quantity of water, five times 
greater than that of the Rhine at Basle, 
where it carries down the drainage of 
nearly all the Swiss Alps, rushed through 
the breach and down the narrow valley. 
An eye-witness, who viewed the scene 
near St. Branchier, assured the writer 
that the appearance of the flood was 
that of a huge dark mass of trees filling 
the width of the valley, and advancing 
with the speed of a railway train, at 
first exceeding 25 miles an hour. 
After reaching the main valley at St. 
Branchier, the fury of the flood was par- 
tially arrested, but it continued to spread 
destruction far and wide, and to bear 
down its burden of huge blocks of 
stone, trees, cattle, houses, and debris, 
to -the valley of the Rhone, many miles 
below Martigny. After repeated warn- 
ings most of the inhabitants had re- 
paired to places of safety, but 34 were 
carried away, along with 400 houses, 
all the bridges over the Dranse, and 
large numbers of cattle. More per- 



manent mischief was done by the 
ma ses of stone and gravel that still lie 
over most of the fields in the lower 
level of the valley even below Martigny. 
One transported block of stone, still 
pointed out, is estimated to weigh nearly 
200 tons. 

The impending danger of a renewal 
of the same catastrophe has since 1818 
been averted by a simple and ingenious 
device originated by M. Venetz. A 
stream of water at a temperature even 
but little over the freezing point acts 
as a saw which rapidly cuts through 
glacier ice. Hence, by conducting the 
streams from the mountains on either 
side in wooden troughs, the accumu- 
lated masses of ice and frozen snow 
are cut up into huge blocks which fall 
into the Dranse, and are soon carried 
away, and melted by the current. Men 
are still frequently employed in sum- 
mer to conduct this operation. 

The path now lies across the tem- 
porary bed of the lake, and in about 
1 hr. farther reaches the Chalets de 
Torembec, which are said to offer the 
best night-quarters for a traveller in 
the upper part of the valley. The 
scenery here assumes a character of 
grandeur. The glacier of Lirerouge to 
the east, and another on the west side 
of the valley lying on the slope of the 
Becca de la Liaz — Glacier de Bocaresse 
— are scarcely s^en from below, but 
opposite to the chalets of Vingt-huit, 
where the track returns for a short 
time to the rt. bank, is the fine Glacier 
de Zessetta, descending from a hollow 
on the N. side of the Tour de Boussine, 
a great buttress of the Grand Combin 
here rising above the valley in formid- 
able precipices of black rock. A short 
distance higher up. the still more ex- 
tensive Glacier de Breney flows down 
from the S W. face of the Pigne oVArolla 
(12,471'). Professor Forbes was in- 
formed that in 1822 this glacier had 
crossed the Dranse and reached a con- 
siderable height on the opposite bank. 
In 1856 Mr. Mathews found that it had 
retreated, leaving behind vast piles of 
rubbish. A little farther on, the Glacier 
2 



260 



PENNINE ALPS. §18. ST. BERNARD DISTRICT. 



du Mont Durand has formed a perma- 
nent ice bridge across the Dranse, 
which flows through a natural tunnel 
beneath it. This great glacier is more 
fully noticed in Rte. F ; its lower end 
is crossed in order to reach the Chalets 
de Chermontane (7,316'). a considerable 
establishment, where nine herdsmen are 
employed in summer in tending a large 
number of cattle and sheep, and in 
making cheese. The season is a very 
short one, extending only from the 
beginning of July to the latter end of 
August. Travellers who have passed 
here have been hospitably received, 
but they have found none but the most 
meagre fare, and all report the great 
difficulty of sleeping in quarters where 
the most discordant noises are con- 
tinued throughout the night. The site, 
however, offers attractions to the moun- 
taineer which are scarcely surpassed 
elsewhere in the Alps, Besides the 
two great glaciers already mentioned, 
there is the Glacier de Fenetre, leading 
to Aosta, and the great Glacier d'Otem- 
ma. one of the finest in the Alps, over 
which lie three different passes, de- 
scribed in Rtes. K and L. There are 
besides three peaks within easy reach 
which must each command an un- 
usuallv interesting view. Of these the 
Pic d'Otemma (11,513'), though appa- 
rently reached by Bernard Trolliet, 
does not seem to have attracted Alpine 
travellers. The Mont Gele (11,539') is 
described in connection with the Col de 
Crete Seche. The easiest of access is 
the Mont Avril (10,96 1'), lying W. of the 
track to the Col de Fenetre, and over- 
looking the Glacier du Mont Durand. 
The ascent over loose shattered slate is 
rather tedious, but free from difficulty. 
The view of the Grand Combin rising 
on the opposite side of the great glacier 
is remarkably fine. 

The ascent from the chalets of Cher- 
montane to the Col de Fenetre, in part 
over the glacier of the same name, is 
easy ; to reach the Col from below fully 
H hr. is required, but less than an 
hoar suffices for the descent to Cher- 
montane. The Glacier de Fenetre now 



approaches within 200 or 300 yards of 
that of Otemma, but it appears that in 
1841, when Professor Forbes passed 
here, the two glaciers united their frozen 

streams. 

The view from the Col de Fenetre 
(9,141') is extremely fine, especially on 
j the side of Italy, commanding all the 
| higher summits of the Graian Alps 
from the Mont Emilius to the Ruitor. 
Immediately below lies the deep valley 
of Ollomont, enclosed by rugged ridges 
I which descend from the Mont Gele and 
the Mont Avril. The track skirts the 
I base of the former peak, a grand object 
| from this side, and passes a small lake, 
before reaching the Alpine pastures 
which rapidly lead down to the chalets 
of Balme. A mule-path descends 
thence by Les Veaux and Otlomont, 
| where there are remains of a Roman 
j aqueduct, to Vol Pellina (Rte. G), only 
I 8 in. from Aosta (§ 15, Rte. A). 



Route E. 

CHABLES TO ST. PIERRE, BY THE COL 
DE LA MAISON BLANCHE — ASCENT 
OF THE GRAND COMBIN. 

The Grand Combin, which yields in 
height to no European mountains save 
Mont Blanc and the great peaks that 
circle round Zermatt, was long one of 
the least known of Alpine summits ; 
j and even now the great glacier of Cor- 
| bassiere which streams from its norrhern 
I face is personally known to none but a 
j few enterprising mountaineers. The 
first to commence the exploration of 
I the great mass which separates the Val 
de Bagnes from the Val d'Entremont 
was M. Gottlieb Studer, of Berne, who 
in 1851 reached for the first time the 
summit of the Combin de Corbassiere, 
and has published an account of that 
and a subsequent excursion in 'Berg- 
j und Gletscher-Fahrten.' He was fol- 
I lowed in that ascent five years later by 
| Messrs. W. and C. E. Mathews, and in 
j 1857 the former gentleman anticipated 
I M. Studer in the ascent of the second 



ROUTE E. — ASCENT OF 



THE GRAND COMBIN. 



261 



peak of the Grand Combin. After this 
ascent had been several times repeated, 
some hunters of St. Pierre discovered 
a way from the Val d'Entremont, and 
a Swiss gentleman, named Deville, un- 
der their guidance reached the higher 
or southern peak in 1860, followed in the 
same year by an English officer. Seve- 
ral points connected with thetopography 
of the mountain have been made out so 
lately that G. Studer's description, pub- 
lished in 1859, although the most com- 
plete yet published, is in many respects 
quite incorrect. It was formerly sup- 
posed that the watershed between Pied- 
mont and Switzerland ran up close un- 
der the highest peak of the mountain, 
and it is so represented in Studer's map. 
Mr. Mathews was led to doubt this 
opinion, and to suppose the existence of 
a pass from the Corbassiere Glacier to 
that of Mont Durand. In a subsequent 
expedition, with Mr. F. W. Jacomb, he 
ascertained that the supposed pass does 
not exist, since the ridge at the head of 
the Corbassiere Glacier overlooks, not 
the Gl. du Mont Durand, but a branch 
of the Valsorey Glacier, from which 
it is separated by seemingly impracti- 
cable precipices. On the next day Mr. 
Jacomb crossed for the first time the 
Col de Sonadon, connecting the Val- 
sorey with the Glacier du Mont Durand, 
and thus ascertained that the Combin 
is separated from the watershed towards 
Italy by the whole length of the ridge 
between those two glaciers. 

The topography of the Combin is 
intricate, and only to be clearly under- 
stood by reference to a correct map or 
model. Between the Val d'Entremont 
and the Val de Bagnes are two high 
ridges, nearly parallel to each other and 
to those valleys, which both diverge 
from a short transverse ridge of great 
height. The S. end of the space en- 
closed between these three ridges is an 
elevated plateau of great extent, where 
the neve accumulates that feeds the 
Glacier de Corbassiere, which descends 
thence for several miles to the N. 

At the SE. extremity of the plateau 
the highest part of the enclosing ridge 



is surmounted by two conical summits, 
of which the higher SW. point is 
14,164 ft. in height, while the neigh- 
bouring NE. summit is lower by less 
than 100 ft. The SW. corner of the 
plateau lies at a considerably lower 
level, and over this lies the Col de la 
Maison Blanche, by which access to 
Corbassiere is obtained from the side of 
Valsorey. Seen from the S. and E. sides, 
the highest ridge of the Combin rises 
in seemingly inaccessible precipices, 
but the actual summit is not easily 
identified. The ridge separating the 
glaciers of Mont Durand and Sonadon 
diverges to the SW. from the mass of 
the Combin, and appears to be continu- 
ous with the range of the Aiguilles 
Vertes, or Aiguilles de Valsorey, and 
that of the Velan. From this diverges 
the lower range, which divides the 
channel of the Glacier du Mont Durand 
from the Piedmontese Val d'Ollomont, 
andextends by the Col de Fenetre to the 
Mont Gele. 

It is right to add, that the Grand 
Combin is known in the Val de Bagnes 
by the name Graffeneire, or Grafion- 
eyre, while the name Grand Combin is 
given to a much lower summit on the 
W. side of the Glacier de Corbassiere, 
called on several maps Petit Combin, 
but better distinguished as Combin de 
Corbassiere. A third peak, which is 
marked as Les Foliate in Studer's map, 
and is known as Dent du Midi in some 
part of the Val d'Entremont, is called 
by the people of Bagnes Petit Combin. 

The demand made by the Bagnes 
guides in the early ascents of the Grand 
Combin was 30 fr. each, which may be 
considered fair pay, as in ascending 
from that side it is necessary to employ 
the greater part of two days, sleeping 
at the Chalets de Corbassiere. 

After following the main track up the 
Val de Bagnes from Chables to Granges 
Neuves, where the stream from the Cor- 
bassiere Glacier joins the Dranse, the 
traveller keeps on the same path to the 
next group of chalets, called Plan Praz, 
and then, after crossing the Dranse by 
a wooden bridge, commences the ascent 



262 



PENNINE ALPS. § 18. ST. BERNARD DISTRICT. 



along the base of the Becca de Corbas- 
siere. The lowest chalets are somewhat 
below the glacier, but the principal 
group lies above its E. bank, and com- 
mands a very fine view of the Grand 
Combin, and the range on the opposite 
side of the glacier, whose highest sum- 
mit is the Combin de Corbassiere. This 
may be reached in 6 hrs. from the cha- 
lets. The only difficulty lies in cross- 
ing the bergschrund at the base of the 
steep E. face of the peak, and towards 
the highest crest, which is a narrow 
and very sharp snow-arete. 

There is a passage called Col des 
Pauvres leading from the Chalets de 
Corbassiere to the middle region of the 
Val de Bagnes. By bearing to the rt. 
along the slope of the Montagne de 
Bocaresse, Mr. Mathews reached the 
chalets of Torembec (Rte. D), without 
the labour of descending direct to the 
valley, and then remounting the track 
to Torembec. 

The accommodation at Corbassiere 
is very limited, and Mr. W. Mathews 
with his brother, in his first visit to this 
place, found it advisable to sleep for 
two nights under a huge boulder near 
at hand, which is turned to the same 
account by the herdsmen. Somewhat 
higher up there is a small stone hut at 
the base of a cliff, which in subsequent 
expeditions to the Grand Combin was 
used for sleeping quarters by Mr. 
Mathews and M. G. Studer. 

Along the E. side of the glacier are 
two ancient moraines, marking its for- 
mer limits ; the farther of which is now 
coated over with vegetation, and affords 
the easiest way for ascending along this 
bank. The middle and upper part of 
the glacier abutting against the upper 
ridge of the Grand Combin is described 
as exhibiting an appearance of extra- 
ordinary confusion. Huge seracs. with 
a net-work of wide crevasses interven- 
ing, form a labyrinth which severely 
tries the skill and endurance both of 
guides and travellers. Mr. Mathews, 
who made the ascent after a heavy fall 
of fresh snow, found 11 hrs. of actual 
walking necessary to reach the summit 



from the highest hut ; and his chief 
guide, Auguste Simond, suffered after- 
wards from the severe exertion. M. 
Studer, under mere favourable circum- 
stances, employed more than 9 hrs.; and 
in each case the second peak, not the 
higher and more distant summit, was 
attained. The course lies towards the 
Col de la Maison Blanche until within 
about 1 hr. of the summit of the ridge, 
and then bears to the 1. to reach the 
higher terrace of the snow-plateau 
which forms the proper ridge of the 
Grand Combin. Both the earlier ex- 
plorers of the mountain were unfor- 
tunate as to weather, and no published 
account gives full particulars of the 
form of the highest ridge. 

If the object be merely to reach St. 
Pierre across the upper basin of the 
Glacier de Corbassiere. the traveller 
may attain the Col de la Maison Blanche 
(11,212') in 5 or 6 hrs. from the highest 
hut. Messrs. Mathews and Jacomb 
went in 50 min. from the Col to a point 
in the ridge to SSE., about 500 ft. higher, 
which overlooks a grand amphitheatre 
of rock and ice -cliff opening into 
one branch of the Glacier of Yalsorey. 
The view from this point is very 
grand, including a large portion of the 
panorama seen from the highest peak. 
A short distance below the snowy 
ridge which forms the Col de la Maison 
Blanche, commences a steep descent, 
in which rocks alternate with couloirs 
and snow-slopes, presenting no difficulty 
to practised mountaineers. At the base 
of the rocks the descent continues, and 
finally gains the banks of a tributary 
stream flowing SW., and joining that 
from the Yalsorey Glacier (Rte. G). about 
l^hr. above St.Pierre. Abovethe junc- 
tion is the highest chalet in the val- 
ley. In ascending to the Col, Messrs. 
Mathews and Jacomb employed 5 hrs. 
20 min., and in descending 4 hrs. 20 min. 

The experience gained in the latest • 
ascents of the Grand Combin sh«»ws 
that until a hut shall be built far up on 
the rt. bank of the Corbassiere Glacier, 
it will be far better to attack the moun- 
tain from the Maison Blanche side. 



ROUTE F. COL DE SONADON. 



263 



Sleeping at the above-mentioned chalet 
in the Valsorey, 7 or 8 hrs. may pro- 
bably suffice for the ascent under mode- 
rately favourable circumstances ; leaving 
time to reach St. Pierre in the evening, 
or to descend to Corbassiere. In tak- 
ing the pass of the Maison Blanche 
between St. Pierre and Chables, there 
would also be some advantage in starting 
from the former place rather than from 
Corbassiere, except that the difficulty 
of descending through such intricate 
crevasses as those of the upper part of 
the glacier is generally greater than 
that of ascending. Under favourable 
circumstances it might be possible to 
reach Chables in one long day of 14 
hrs.' walking, exclusive of halts. 

M. G. Studer discovered another 
pass from Corbassiere to the Val d'En- 
tremont by the N. side of the Combin 
de Corbassiere. He descended to Aleve, 
between Liddes and St. Pierre (lite. 
A) by the N. side of the Glacier de 
Boveire, and over the Montagne des 
Cceurs. It is apparently less interest- 
ing, but also shorter than that of the 
Maison Blanche. 



Route F. 

ST. PIERRE TO CHERMONTANE, BY THE 
COL DE SONADON. 

This pass, which is probably destined 
to future importance amongst moun- 
taineers, as it lies in the direct line of 
communication between Zermatt and 
Chamouni, was first made in 1861 by 
Mr. F. W. Jacomb, a member of the 
Alpine Club, whose name frequently 
recurs amongst the explorers of the 
Pennine Alps, accompanied by the 
well-known brothers, J. B. and Michel 
Croz of Chamouni. Three weeks 
later it was passed for the second time 
by the Rev. J. F. Hardy and three 
friends. 

The way from St. Pierre lies along 
the rt. bank of the Valsorey torrent to 
its junction with the stream from the 



Col de la Maison Blanche mentioned 
in the last Rte. Instead of turning by 
that stream to NE.,the way still lies 
SE., passing the highest chalet, and 
about 10 min. farther, and near the 
lower end of the glacier, reaches a pro- 
jecting rock, which appears to bar the 
valley. The herdsmen have cut a path 
by which the summit of the rock is 
reached in 15 min., and the track con- 
tinues along the slope, high above the 
end of the Valsorey Glacier. In 2\ 
hrs. from St. Pierre Mr. Jacomb 
reached a point commanding a fine 
view of the junction of the main Glacier 
de Valsorey with the Glacier de Sona- 
don, which it receives from the E., and 
with the Glacier de Tzeudet, which 
joins it a little lower down from the 
SW. In the fork between it and the 
latter is the little glacier lake, Goille 
a Vassu, mentioned in Rte. C. Imme- 
diately opposite, between the ice-streams 
Valsorey and Sonadon is the range of 
the Aiguilles Vertes, or Aiguilles de 
Valsorey, linking the Grand Combin 
with the Velan. At the NE. end of 
this ridge, very near to the Combin, is 
the slight depression which forms the 
Col de Sonadon. From this point of 
view it is seen that the Glacier de 
Sonadon is cut across by an impracti- 
cable ice-fall and by smooth and nearly 
vertical rocks, so that the only way to 
reach its upper level is to climb along 
the face of the steep rocks which over- 
hang its N. back. This has been found 
by the earlier explorers a matter of 
some difficulty, the rocks being very 
steep and the risk from falling stones 
not inconsiderable. It is likely that as 
it is better known the guides will find 
out the most convenient track, and 
avoid some of the difficulty. Several 
attempts made by Mr. Hardy's party, 
composed of excellent mountaineers and 
first-rate guides, to descend by the 
middle or SE. corner of the glacier 
utterly failed. 

When once the upper level of the 
glacier has been reached, the difficulties 
of the way are over. l£ hr. ascending 
'over snow-slopes suffices to reach the Col. 



264 



PENNINE ALPS. § 18. ST. BERNARD DISTRICT. 



Mr. Jacomb, who is a fast walker, em- 
ployed 6^- hrs., including a short halt 
for breakfast, to reach the Col from St 
Pierre. He estimates the height at 
11,483 ft. To the N. rises the rocky 
face of the Grand Combin, while to the 
E. the Glacier du Mont Durand de- 
scends in a gentle curve convex to the 
S., where it is guarded by the Tete de 
By and the Mont Avril. Beyond it 
rises the great Glacier d'Otemma, be- 
tween the Mont Gele and the Pic 
d'Otemma, and to the N. of the latter 
peak the Glacier de Breney. 

The upper part of the Glacier du 
Mont Durand is quite free from diffi- 
culty, but it has two considerable ice- 
falls, one of them at about its mid- 
length opposite the Mont Avril, the 
other lower down, where it descends 
into the head of the Val de Bagnes 
opposite to the chalets of Chermontane. 
To pass the higher fall, Mr. Hardy and 
his party found it expedient to keep to 
the rocks on the 1. or N. bank. Below 
the fall there is no difficulty in tra- 
versing the glacier diagonally, so as to 
gain the XE. slopes of the Mont Avril, 
by which the descent is completed, 
passing but a short way below the 
path to the Col de Fenetre. 3 hrs. 
are probably quite sufficient for the 
descent to the chalets, so that, under 
favourable circumstances, 9^- hrs., ex- 
clusive of halts, may be allowed for 
this fine pass. 

[Mr. Jacomb, instead of descending 
to Chermontane, crossed the ridge of 
the Tete deBy, descending by the Cha- 
lets de By to Ollomont, and thence 
to Aosta. Those mountaineers who 
have not already made the ascent of the 
Velan, will probably prefer the way 
indicated in Rte. C as a glacier route 
from St. Pierre to Aosta. To judge 
from the brief particulars stated in 
* Peaks, Passes, and Glaciers,' Mr. 
Hardy found a different, and probably 
an easier pass, to Ollomont, lying far- 
ther E.than that taken by Mr. Jacomb, 
but as he did not descend that way, 
the question remains open for future 
explorers.] 



RorTE G. 

AOSTA TO ZER3IATT, BY THE VAL 
PELLIXA AND THE COL DE LA VAL 
PELLINA. 

Hrs.' walking Eng. miles 

Valpellina (Village) 2± 8 

Ovace ... If 5 

Biona . 1£ 3f 
Prarayen . 3£ 

Zermatt by Zarde- 7 lnl co 

zan Gl. . .1 ,H i 11 

19| "49I 
Although discovered only in 1860, 
by Mr. F. W. Jacomb, accompanied by 
Johann Kronig of Zermatt, the pass 
described in this Rte. is already fre- 
quented by the more adventurous class 
of mountaineers. Nor is this sur- 
prising ; the scenery of the Val Pel- 
lina is worthy to compare with that of 
those exquisite valleys of Monte Rosa 
described in § 20. It is connected by 
six glacier passes with the adjoining 
valleys to the N. and E. Of these the 
grandest is that leading to Zermatt, 
which has besides the great advantage 
of offering the only direct rte. from 
Aosta to Zermatt, by which the latter 
place may be reached in two days from 
Courmayeur, starting very early in a 
char for Aosta, and continuing the 
journey by Valpellina to Prarayen, and 
thence, next day, to Zermatt. 

Fine weather, and a thoroughly good 
guide, are indispensable for the pass. 
It is now known to several of the best 
Valais guides — Johann Kronig, Peter 
Perm, Moritz Andermatten, J. J. Ben- 
nen, &c, as well as to Michel Payot, 
and possibly some others of the best 
Chamouni guides. 

There is a road practicable for a 
char from Aosta to the village of Val- 
pellina ; but even in descending it in- 
volves a loss of time, as it is extremely 
rough. It passes by Roisan along the 
E. bank of the Buttier. The writer 
believes that the best way is to follow 
I the road of the St. Bernard nearly to 
I Gignod, then to cross the Buttier, and 
! follow the L bank of the stream till 
close to the village, where the road 
1 returns to the opposite bank. 



ROUTE G VAL PELLINA. 



265 



Valpellina (Rte. D) stands at the 
junction of the Val d? Ollomont with the 
main branch of the Buttier descending 
from the Val Peliina. The situation 
is extremely beautiful, but the village 
is discoloured by large copper- works. 
It contains two poor inns, of which the 
Hotel des Mines appears the better, bat, 
except by accident, meat is not to be 
had. Here is the opening of the Val 
Peliina, a deep trench exactly parallel 
to that of the Allee Blanche, and of 
about the same length — 18 English m. 
The scenery is throughout of the first 
order, especially towards the head of 
the valley, and nothing but a tolerable 
mountain inn at Prarayen is wanting 
to make it one of the chief resoris of 
Alpine travellers. 

The first village is Oyace, standing 
on a promontory of rock connected 
with the base of the Mont Gele, at a great 
height above the torrent. The cure 
here is willing to give lodging to one 
or two travellers, but the accommoda- 
tion is limited, and by no means in- 
viting. The track continues along the 
N. side of the valley from thence to 
JBiona, the second and last village, 
where in case of need better accommo- 
dation than that at Oyace may be found 
at the cure's house; but he is often ab- 
sent at some of the numerous outlying 
hamlets, and the inhabitants have been 
hitherto shy, though not ill-disposed 
towards strangers. The passes leading 
from this part of the valley to Sr. Bar 
thelemi are noticed in Rte. H, and the 
Col de la Crete Seche to Chermontane 
in Rte. K. 

The flora of the Val Peliina well 
deserves more examination than it has 
yet received. Silene valesia is com- 
mon about Biona, and the warm slopes 
on the N. side of the valley seem to 
promise much variety. They should 
be visited in June or July. 

Above Biona the valley mounts by 
a tolerably continuous and gentle 
ascent, through scenery constantly in- 
creasing in grandeur, till the mule- 
track reaches Prarayen, a group of 
chalets just beyond the opening of the 



Combe aVOren (§ 19. Rte. A), the only 
considerable lateral valley connected 
with the Val Peliina. There is another 
group of chalets somewhat farther up 
the valley; the same herdsmen re- 
sort alternately to one or the other, and 
travellers report favourably of the hos- 
pitality with which they have been 
received by them. The resources of 
the establishment are confined to milk, 
cheese, butter, and brousse, with po- 
lenta and black bread, unless the larder 
happen to be enriched by the slaughter 
of a marmot. The lower chalets stand 
at 6,588 ft. according to Forbes. 

The head of the Val Peliina is closed 
by the Glacier de Zardezan, which 
forms a great ice-fall, apparently bar- 
ring all passage in that direction. It 
occupies the main channel of an upland 
valley lying between a range that 
runs N. from the Pointe de Zardezan, 
through the Dents de Bertol (12,4120, 
and several intermediate peaks, to the 
Aiguille de la Za (12,051'), and a 
nearly parallel range, extending from 
the Dent d'Herens (or Dent de Rong) 
to the Chateau des Dames. The first 
of these ranges divides the Zardezan 
Glacier from the Combe d'Oren, and 
the basin of the Arolla Glacier from 
that of the Glacier de Ferpecle. The 
second extends to the S., along the W, 
side of the Val Tournanche, and sends 
out a massive branch which divides the 
Val Peliina from that of St. Barthelemi. 
About j hr. above Prarayen is a little 
chapel and a solitary chalet, the last in 
the valley, beside a little knoll crowned 
by the remains of a wooden cross. 
The vie w is even finer than that from 
Prarayen, but the Glacier de Zardezan 
which mounts towards NNE. is con- 
cealed, though near at hand, by a pro- 
jecting buttress of the mountain. 

' Starting from this chalet, § hr. 
takes the mountaineer across the pas- 
tures and rough ground forming the 
head of the valley, and, ascending 
steeply the western slopes, he crosses 
the lateral moraine on to the Zardezan 
Glacier. On the western slopes above 
is the cattle alp, one of the wildest to 



266 PENNINE ALPS. § 18. 



ST. BERNARD DISTRICT. 



be found. The glacier descends in an 
almost straight and tolerably level 
course from the N., bounded on the 
west by the black precipices extending 
from the Pointe de Zardezan to the 
Dents des Bouquetins, whilst, on the 
east, stretches up a wilderness of snow 
slopes and rocks towards the Dent d Erin, 
seamed by three secondary glaciers 
flowing into the Zardezan, and the 
bases of which are successively passed. 
The third is of great breadth, and the 
medial moraine formed by the junction 
is strongly defined. Looking back, down 
the glacier, the Chateau des Dames 
( Rte. I) rises imposingly. At the end of 
2hrs.,the ice-cliffs separating the lower 
level of the glacier from the neve 
above are approached ; here the moun- 
taineer must leave the glacier, and turn 
north-eastwards towards a gap in 
the ridge of rocks bounding the ice- 
fall on the east. These rocks are 
called Papilles Rouges on some maps ; 
on others, the Dents des Bouquetins, 
but this latter name is more properly 
applicable to the range on the west side 
of the ice-fall After crossing the late- 
ral moraine, you climb up steep slopes 
of snow, dotted with patches of rock, 
affording fine specimens of Gnaphalium 
leontopodium. In an hour a kind of 
couloir, half glacier and half snow-slope, 
is reached. Passing up this and the 
rocks above, interspersed with ice- 
slopes, and occasionally requiring the 
use of the axe, the gap in the rocks is 
gained in little more than 5 hrs. from 
Prarayen. The mountaineer is now 
at the edge of the extensive neve of the 
Zardezan, forming an undulating pla- 
teau or basin, which falls awav to the 
NW. above the ice-fall.'— [F. W. J ] 

[An opening on the W. side of the 
snow-field immediately N. of the Pointe 
de Zardezan had been observed to cor- 
respond with a similar Col lying at the 
head of the main or SE. branch of the 
Arolla Glacier, and Mr. Tuckett, Sir 
T. F. Buxton, and others pointed out 
the probability that a pass might be 
effected in this direction, uniting Zer- 
matt with the Chalets d' Arolla. The 



new pass, which may best be called 
Col de Zardezan * was effected in 1862, 
by Mr. C. H. Pilkington and two other 
English travellers. Keeping round the 
head of the Glacier de Zardezan, they 
passed the ridge without difficulty, 
and reached the Chalets d'Arolla 
(§ 19 Rte. A) in about 6 hrs., rather 
fast walking, from the Col de la Val 
Pellina.] 

4 On the farther side of the basin, and 
almost due N., is the ridge leading up 
to the snowy summit of the Tete 
Blanche, to the SE. of which, yet hid 
from view, is the Col de la Val Pellina 
(1 1,687', Buxton). On the rt. hand, or 
E., descends a secondary glacier, broken 
up in front by seracs. Crossing the 
neve towards the Tete Blanche, and 
ascending rapidly, the Col de la Val 
Pellina is gained in 1^ hr. from the 
summit of the rocks.' — [F. W. J.] By 
bearing to the 1. across the ridge con- 
necting the Tete Blanche with the 
Dents de Bertol, the traveller may cross 
the Col des Bouquetins leading to Evo- 
lena (§ 19, Rte.B). 

In making the first passage of the 
Col de la Val Pellina Mr. Jacomb 
found time to ascend (in about J hr. from 
the col) the Tete Blanche (12,3040, a 
snowy pyramid lying between three 
glacier passes that intersect the vast 
snow-fields from whence the glaciers of 
Zmutt, Ferpecle, and Zardezan diverge 
at about equal angles. ' The ascent lies 
all the way over snow, and the summit 
is a ledge of snow wreathed up by the 
wind into a cornice. Owing to its 
central position in the vast snow and 
iee country around, there are few posi- 
tions so easy of attainment which can 
display such a magnificent scene. Be- 
sides the well-known view from the Col 
d'Herens (§ 19, Rte.D), it affords a pros- 
pect in two directions which that col 
cannot : viz., first, on the side which 
the mountain itself conceals, embracing 
the line of familiar peaks stretching 
SW. to Mont Blanc ; and next, to 

* Since the above was written, Mr. Pilk'ngton 
has described the new pass by the name Col du 
Mont Brule. 



KOUTE H. VAL DE ST. BARTHELEMI. 



267 



the NE., towards the wondrous Dent 
Blanche and sharp-peaked Weisshorn, 
with the Bernese Oberland beyond. In 
front is the mighty obelisk of the Mat- 
terhorn, with, nearer still, the Dent 
d'Erin, little less in height ; whilst, be- 
yond, the eye ranges over the many 
other well-known mountains and gla- 
ciers of the Monte Rosa district. The 
summit of Monte Rosa, however, is 
concealed by the Matterhorn. 

* Leaving the col, 1 hr.'s careful work 
is required in descending some treach- 
erous neve, and winding through mag- 
nificent crevasses and seracs to join the 
snow slopes of the Col d'Erin, a short 
distance above the Stockje, the track of 
which is followed over the Zmutt Gla- 
cier to Zermatt.' — [F. W. J.] (See 
§ 19, Rte. D.) 

To reach the col from Prarayen 6^ 
hrs.' steady walking will suffice, and 4 
hrs. for the descent. In ascending from 
Zermatt 7 hrs. should be allowed to the 
summit, and 3^ hrs., or rather more, 
for the descent. 



Route H. 

ST. BARTHELEMI TO THE VAL 
PELLINA. 

About half-way between Aosta and 
Chatillon, near the village of Nu.% & 
mountain torrent descends from the N. 
to join the Dora Baltea. This drains 
the Val de St. Barthelemi, and one or 
two short tributary glens, a district 
very little known to strangers. The 
only recent notice of the valley is con- 
tained in King's ' Italian Valleys of the 
Pennine Alps.' Mr. King traversed 
but one of the three passes connecting 
the valley with the Val Pellina, and 
very little information respecting the 
others has reached the editor. 

The village of St. Barthelemi is 
about 2 hrs. above Kus (§ 20, Rte. I). 
Three passes lead hence into the Val 
Pellina. Reckoning from E to W., 
the first of these is the Col de Luseney, 
also called Col de Levornea, said to 
approach 10,000 ft. in height. This is 



the most direct course for Prarayen, as 
it descends into the Val Pellina about 
1 hr. below that place, 

The second pass is the Col de Man- 
tagnaicu reached from St. Barthelemi 
by the Chalets de Baravei. The ridge 
forming the southern boundary of the 
Val Pellina is said to be here passable 
at two points, of which that lying most 
to the E. is sometimes used by the 
people of both valleys. The height, 
according to M. Carrel, is 9,630 ft. 

Both the above-named passes are 
reached by the main branch of the Val 
de St. Barthelemi, which originates on 
the E. side of the Mont Faroma 
(10,062'). On the W. side of this 
mountain lies another pass, easier and 
more frequented than the last, leading 
to Oyace (Rte. G). This is called Cot 
de Vessoney. and sometimes Col de St. 
Barthelemi. It was crossed from the 
N. side by Mr. King, and the following 
is, for the most part, abridged from his 
account of the excursion. 

Below Oyace a steep path leads down 
to a bridge, bearing the date 1688, 
which crosses the deep and dark gorge 
of the Buttier. The track then mounts 
steeply to the E. under k rch trees, 
before long gaining a view of Biona, 
and of the high ranges on either side of 
the Col de la Crete Seche (Rte. K). 
The course now lies through a glen 
wherein soft turf and moss-grown rocks 
alternate with pine forest. Aquilegia 
alpina is here abundant. The glen 
terminates in a green plain, the former 
bed of a lake, where stand the chalets 
of Vessoney. This little plain is sur- 
rounded by an amphitheatre of rocks, 
those to the S. being jagged and 
very steep. The way lies through 
enormous fallen blocks, amidst which 
grow gigantic larches, and then through 
a ravine. The larch gives place to the 
arolla pine before reaching a desolate 
hollow, where stand the upper chalets of 
Vessoney. About \ hr. higher up the 
path becomes impracticable for mules, 
and I hr. farther suffices to reach the 
col by a faintly -marked track over de- 
bris and shattered edges of slaty rock, 



208 



PENNINE ALPS. § 18. 



ST. BERNARD DISTRICT. 



The col is about 8,200 ft. in height, 
and commands a noble view, extending 
from Mont Blanc to the Crete Seche, 
and on the other side of the Mont 
Faroma, including some portions of the 
group of Monte Rosa. The descent is 
tolerably easy from the col to a wooded 
glen that falls SE. to join the main 
valley, close to the village of St. Barthe- 
lemi. This contains no inn, but Mr. 
King found good accommodation at the 
house of the cure. 



Route I. 

PRARAYEN TO VAL TOURNANCHE, OR 
BREUJL, BY THE COL DE VACOR- 

NERE ASCENT OF THE CHATEAU 

DES DAMES. 

The editor has received some notes 
of this pass from Mr. A. T. Malkin, 
and the pass, including the first ascent 
of the Chateau des Dames, is described 
by Mr. F. W. Jacomb m the second 
series of ' Peaks, Passes, and Glaciers.' 
The latter gentleman was accompanied 
by Johann Kronig, of Zermatt, and by 
Gabriel Maquigney, of Breuil, of whose 
qualifications as an ice-man he gives an 
unfavourable report. This is a short, 
steep pass, without difficulty to the 
practised mountaineer, and interest- 
ing from the fine views of the main 
range between the Dent d'Herens and 
the Mont Gele. 

The ascent commences about 1 m. 
below the highest chalet in Val Pellina 
(mentioned in Rte. G), and a rather 
greater distance above the principal 
chalets of Prarayen. A plank crosses 
the Buttier, and a track mounts in a 
gorge through pine forest to the first 
step in the lateral glen leading to the 
pass, already commanding a noble view 
of the opposite range. Above this is 
a steep gorge, mounting about due E. 
Mr. Jacomb, in descending from the 
col, kept rather high up on the N. side 
of this gorge, but advises future travel- 
lers to take a more direct course, 
availing themselves for some distance 



of a channel by which water is led to 
the pastures below. This seems to have 
been the course taken by Mr. Mai kin, 
who describes the lowest part of the 
ascent as a chimney. In either case a 
stiff climb over rock, alternating with 
steep grass-slopes and debris, leads up to 
the last portion of the ascent, which lies 
through a snow couloir, long and rather 
steep, fatiguing to mount, but easily 
descended by a glissade. The height 
of the col, according to M. Carrel, is 
10,335 ft. — perhaps too high an esti- 
mate. It is known by the name Col 
de Vacornere, and also,, it would seem, 
as Col Courgnier, both having the same 
derivation. 

The Chateau des Dames lies NE. of 
the pass, and, though decidedly difficult 
of access, is well worth a visit for the 
noble view which it commands. About 
1 hr. from the col, chiefly over snow 
broken by projecting rocks, the travel- 
ler may reach the base of the peak, 
where the baggage may be deposited. 
A steep snow-slope leads NE. to a line 
of serrated rocks, not seen from below, 
which stretch N. towards the summit. 
4 It is necessary to climb along the base 
of these rocks until they can be them- 
selves traversed, in order to avoid the 
ice-slope below, which here falls away 
very sharply to the E., and ends in a 
precipice, The rocks are very loose 
and " pourris," and blocks are occa- 
sionally detached, and at times the 
mountaineer must leave them, and cat 
his way along the ice-slope. On reach- 
ing the end of the rocky ridge he will 
see the summit of the mountain, not 
very high above, but separated from 
him by an extremely sharp arete of 
snow, which would be dangerous on a 
windy day. This passed, a short snow- 
slope leads to a little group of rocks 
cropping out from the snow, and form- 
ing the summit of the mountain, some- 
thing less than 12,000 ft. high. It may 
be reached in less than 3 hrs. from the 
point where the baggage was left. From 
its central position the mountain com- 
mands an extensive view, especially 
westwards, in which direction the eye 



ROUTE K GLACIER D'OTEMMA. 



269 



enfilades a line of snowy peaks for 
nearly 50 m. away towards Mont Blanc 
himself. Amongst these are the Velan 
and Grand Combin, and nearer the 
Mont Gele, Otemma, Arolla, Collon, 
and others. To the S., nearer at hand, 
a remarkable snow.cone rises out of the 
ridge.'— [F. W. J.] 

After returning to the base of the 
peak the traveller may descend direct, 
without returning to the col, winding 
round the N. side of the steep slopes 
that enclose the head of the glen below, 
and reaching the under-mentioned gap 
in the ridge leading to Breuil. 

Below the Col de Vacornere a small 
glacier stretches down for a short dis- 
tance, and is followed by a steep but 
not difficult descent over rocks, snow- 
slopes, debris, and Alpine turf, leading 
to a wild glen, apparently closed in the 
direction of the Val Tournanche by a 
ridge stretching from N. to S. The 
drainage of this glen is carried down a 
gorge to the rt. leading a little E. of S., 
by another steep descent, into a short 
and nearly level upland valley, where 
stand the chalets of Chignana. The 
torrent from this valley joins the main 
stream a little below the village of 
Valtournanehe (§ 20, Rte. B). A mule- 
path leads from the chalets to that 
village. 

The way to Breuil lies E. from the 
foot of the pass to a gap, called Col de 
Dza-y in the ridge before mentioned, 
from whence a track leads NE. over 
Alpine pastures, crossing two torrents 
in the way, until it reaches the main 
stream of Val Tournanche, here crossed 
by a plank bridge, about 1 m. below the 
comfortable inn of Breuil (§ 20, Rte. 
B). 

From 6 to 7 hrs., exclusive of halts, 
suffice for this pass, the distance to 
Breuil or Valtournanehe being about 
the same, but 5 hrs. must be added in 
case the traveller should ascend the 
Chateau des Dames. 



Route K. 

CHERMONTANE TO PRARAYEN, BY THE 
GLACIER D'OTEMMA — ASCENT OF THE 
MONT GELE. 

To the E. of the chalets of Cher- 
montane (Rte. D) lies the great Glacier 
aV Otemma, also called Glacier de Cher- 
montane, the finest of those flowing into 
the Val de Bagnes. It is about 6 m. 
in length by f m. in breadth, expand- 
ing at the summit into a great field of 
neve, which also feeds the Vuibez 
Glacier to the E. Like the Glacier du 
Mont Durand, it is convex to the S., 
descending at first to the S W., and bent 
round till, at its base, it flows somewhat 
N. of W. On the S. side it is guarded 
by a steep and lofty ridge, whose main 
summits are the Mont Gele (11,539'), 
and the Trouma des Boucs (11,1 49'). 
E. of the latter peak a succession of 
headlands of rock, divided by steep 
tributary glaciers, completes the bar- 
rier. 

The equally steep range on the N. 
side is crowned by the Pic d' Otemma 
(11,513'), the Pigne Arolla (12,4710, 
and by several intermediate summits. 
On the faith of statements made by 
hunters of the Val de Bagnes it had 
been believed by the few travellers who 
have traversed this district that the upper 
part of the glacier was barred by an im- 
passable ridge of rocks, called Crete a 
Collon, forbidding all passage from 
Chermontane to the basin of the Arolla. 
This is represented on Studer's map of 
the southern valleys of the Valais ; but 
first by Mr. Tuekett, who traversed the 
Col de la Reuse de 1' Arolla in 1861, 
and a few weeks later by Sir T. F. 
Buxton and his companions, in making 
the new pass of the Col de Chermon- 
tane, the existence of any such barrier 
was finally disproved, and a great ser- 
vice rendered to Alpine travellers by 
the opening up of one of the grandest 
highways through the Pennine Alps. 

Two passes only have yet been dis- 
covered across the range which sepa- 



270 



PENNINE ALPS. § 18. ST. BERNARD DISTRICT. 



rates the Glacier d'Otemma from the 
Valpellina. One of these has long 
been known, though rarely used. It 
lies across a depression between the 
Trouma des Boucs and the Mont Gele, 
and is called Col de Crete Seche. The 
other is the new pass above mentioned, 
discovered by Mr. Tuckett. Mr. Ja- 
comb, who, in 1861, reached by the S. 
side the summit of the Col de Crete 
Seche, added to his numerous other ex- 
ploits in this district the ascent of the 
Mont Gele, believed to have been pre- 
viously untouched ; and an adventurous 
mountaineer may take that peak in his 
way from Chermontane to Oyace or 
Biona, though the ascent is practicable 
only on the S. side. 

At Chermontane are some chalets 
called Chanrion, lying a little higher 
up, and nearer the Otemma Glacier than 
the main group, but they appear to be 
but seldom inhabited, even during sum- 
mer. 

1. By the Col de Crete Seche. The 
lower part of the Otemma Glacier is 
easily accessible from Chermontane, 
but before long it becomes so much 
crevassed as to be impassable, except 
on the S. side, where it abuts against 
the precipitous rocks of a great but- 
tress of Mont Gele. Here the ascent 
becomes rather intricate fo# about ^ hr., 
and above the more shattered region the 
glacier is traversed by Ions: transverse 
crevasses, whose width doubtless varies 
with the season, but is sometimes in- 
convenient to the traveller. After pass- 
ing the base of the Mont Gele the 
lateral glacier descending from the 
Crete Seche comes into view. From 
the slight notice of a single traveller 
who passed the col it would appear that 
it presents no great difficulty. The sum- 
mit is 9,475 ft. in height, and formed of 
broad slabs of rock. 4 It is well defined 
as a col, for to the W. runs up a ridge 
of serrated rocks towards the snow- 
slopes of Mont Gele. whilst to the E. 
a shorter chain ends in a snow-slope of 
the Trouma des Boucs. From the tra- 
veller's feet, northwards, descends the 
Glacier de Crete Seche, bordered on the i 



E. by the Trouma des Boucs, and on the 
W. by the Pointe d'Ayas, a crest of 
black rock, apparently connected with 
the Gele by an impassable arete. Be- 
low the bounding ranges the glacier 
runs into the magnificent Glacier of 
Chermontane.'— [F. W. J.] 

On the S. side of the col is a slope of 
neve, followed by moderately steep 
rocks alternating with beds of snow. 
In descending the traveller has a very 
fine view of the Graian Alps, and more 
to the 1. stands Mont Faroma, one of 
the chief summits of the range sepa- 
rating the Val Pellina from the Val de 
St. Barthelemi. The remains of a hut, 
formerly used by the 'preposes' set to 
watch smugglers at this entrance into 
Italy, are seen about ^ hr. below the 
base of the lowest snow-slope. The 
middle and lower slopes are covered 
with blocks of stone, supposed to have 
been left by a glacier which formerly 
descended from the pass. The path 
descends into the valley about 1 m. 
above Oyace, reached in 6 hrs. from 
Chermontane ; 3 hrs. sufficing for the 
ascent if the snow be in good order, 
and 3 hrs. more for the descent. Pra- 
rayen is 4| hrs. from Oyace. (See 
Rte. G.) 

2. By the Mont Gele. The Mont 
Gele, when seen from the Col de 
Fenetre or the Glacier d'Otemma, 
attracts attention by the extreme steep- 
ness of the precipices which guard it to 
the N. and W. The summit is a ridge 
consisting of three peaks, of which the 
central one is the highest. The latter 
appears to be accessible only from the 
Glacier de la Balme, which descends to 
the SW. in the direction of Ollomont, 
and is most conveniently reached from 
the S. side of the Col de Fenetre. 
This must therefore be crossed by a 
traveller who would take the Mont 
Gele in his way from Chermontane to 
the Val Pellina. A rough ascent, com- 
mencing some distance above the lake 
(Rte. 1>), leads from the path of the 
Col de Fenetre to the Glacier de la 
Balme. Long climbing, chiefly over 
snow-slopes, leads to the upper part of 



ROUTE K. MONT GELE. 



271 



the peak, where nothing but a single 
wide crevasse, or bergschrund, bars 
access to the central and highest sum- 
mit. When a snow-bridge has been 
found across this defence the peak is 
soon won. It consists of a small dome 
of ice-coated snow, wreathed up by the 
wind into a cornice. Twenty feet below 
the top, on its E side, are some rocks 
overhanging an apparently impracti- 
cable ice-couloir, which separates the 
highest from the second peak. In the 
opposite direction stands the third sum- 
mit, that nearest to the Col de Fenetre. 
The view, as may be supposed, from 
the central position of the mountain, is 
extremely grand. 

* Creeping cautiously to the edge of 
the rocks they will be found to be an 
absolute precipice overhanging the 
head of the Glacier de Crete Seche, 
beyond which stretches up to the NE.the 
superb glacier of Chermontane. Beyond 
this again is the Mont Collon ; and it 
is seen that no such barrier as the 
Crete a Collon exists.' — [F. W. J.] 

Mr. Jacomb reached the summit by 
a somewhat circuitous way from the 
Col de Crete Seche, and the same way 
must be taken by a traveller desiring 
to descend to Oyace or Biona. To effect 
this, the traveller, after recrossing the 
bergschrund, must bear to the eastward 
and round the base of the second or E. 
peak of the Gele, descending as little as 
possible until he has left that behind 
him. He then reaches a point on the 
upper edge of the neve of La Balme 
which is connected with the Col de 
Crete Seche by a jagged ridge of rocks, 
and it is possible to descend along the 
N. side of this ridge ; but this involves 
so much loss of time that Mr. Jacomb 
recommends travellers to descend to 
the upper basin of the Glacier de Crete 
Seche, cross its head, and then reascend- 
ing gain the level of the col. Until 
the contrary shall be proved, it appears 
probable that a direct descent to Oyace 
may be found from the eastern side of the 
neve of la Balme, without making the 
detour by the Glacier de Crete Seche. 

3. By the Col de la Reuse de VArolla. 



The upper part of the Otemma Gla- 
cier, E. of the supposed Crete a Collon, 
receives a tributary which descends 
along the S. side of a rocky ridge 
apparently connected with the Mont 
Collon. This leads to a pass dis- 
covered in 1861 by Mr. Tuckett, ac- 
companied by two friends, and the 
well-known guides Bennen and Perm, 
which has received its name from the 
glacier that on the S. side connects it 
with the Combe d'Oren. This affords 
the most direct rte. from Chermontane 
to Prarayen, being easily effected in 
7 hrs, exclusive of halts, if the snow be 
in good order. 

It has already been mentioned that 
the only practicable way over the cre- 
vassed portion of the Glacier d'Otemma 
lying between the Mont Gele and the 
Pic d'Otemma is along the S. side. An- 
other way to overcome the difficulty 
is to keep at first to the N. side of the 
glacier, and, as soon as it becomes too 
much crevassed, to continue the ascent 
by the steep rocks on the rt. bank, 
at the SW. base of the Pic d'Otemma. 
Mr. Tuckett seems to have encountered 
some difficulties amongst the seracs at 
the place where it is necessary to 
regain the ice, even so early as the 
26th June, when he made this passage. 
It seems probable that at a later season 
these difficulties would be more serious, 
and that as a general rule it is better to 
keep to the opposite side. When the lower 
crevassed region has been passed, the 
way lies clear and open before the 
traveller. The glacier mounts with a 
gentle slope for several miles without 
the slightest break, its main stream 
bending to the NE., while right ahead 
are seen the rocks lying N. of the Col 
de la Reuse de TArolla. The judicious 
mountaineer will not, however, lay aside 
the rope so long as his way lies over 
the neve. The lateral glacier mount- 
ing towards the pass is rather steeper 
than the main stream, but the only dif- 
ficulty lies in a large bergschrund, over 
which Mr. Tuckett and his party sought 
for some lime before finding a snow- 
bridge. A steep slope requiring the 



272 



PENNINE ALPS. § 18. 



ST. BERNARD DISTRICT. 



use of the axe leads up from thence to 
the Col, whose height, estimated from an 
imperfect observation, is about 10,400 ft 
The descent commences by a steep 
ridge of rocks, partially coated with 
snow, and requiring some care, which 
leads down to the upper plateau of the 
Reuse de VArolla (Ruize or Reuse 
being a local word for glacier). Below 
the gently sloping upper plateau, the 
Reuse de l'Arolla forms a great ice-fall 
overhanging the Combe d'Oren. This 
appears quite impassable, but the rocks 
on its E. side, though steep, present 
no serious difficulty, and in less than 
an hour they lead down to the moraine 
of the lower part of the glacier which 
approaches near to the track leading 
from the Col de Collon (§ 19, Rte, A) 
to Prarayen. 



Route L. 

CHERMOXTANE TO EVOLENA, BY THE 
COL DE CHERMOXTANE. 

For all practical purposes this pass 
was not discovered until the 16th of 
August. 1861, when it was traversed 
by Sir T. F. Buxton, Mr. J. J. Cowell, 
and Mr. E. Buxton, with Michel Payot 
of Chamouni as leader, and by Justin 
and Louis Felley of Lourtier as porters. 
Of the last, who made several glacier 
passes in the same company, a very fa- 
vourable report is given in the account 
of the expedition contained in 4 Peaks 
Passes, and Glaciers.' There is little 
doubt, however, that the pass had been 
made before that date. In September 
1853, the editor was informed by the 
younger Pralong, and another herds- 
man at the Chalets d'Arolla, that a 
stranger had mounted along with two 
men of the valley by one of the neigh- 
bouring glaciers (Gl. de Piece?), had 
passed over a glacier that reached to 
the Val de Bagnes, and that there is 
a pass (Col de Crete Seche?) leadiug 
from the same glacier to the Val 
Pellina. No further particulars were 
obtained. 

The way is for a considerable dis- 



tance nearly the same as that to the 
Col de la Reuse de l'Arolla (see last 
Rte.), except that on gaining the upper 
level it is better to keep nearer to the 
N. bank of the glacier. The summit 
is a vast field of neve, lying between 
the Pigne d'Arolla and the Mont Collon, 
so level that it is not easy to determine 
the exact watershed, and probably about 
1 0,200 ft. in height. The direct line from 
the summit of the pass would lie down 
the Glacier de Vui'bez which joins the 
main stream of the Gl. de l'Arolla at 
the NW. base of the Mont Collon. 
This glacier forms two formidable ice- 
falls, divided by a central mass of rock. 
The northern of these may not be quite 
impassable, but must always be very 
difficult and dangerous. It is not sur- 
prising that the explorers of the pass, 
after forcing their way down for some 
distance, should have abandoned the 
attempt, and returning nearly to the 
level of the plateau aimed at a gap in 
the ridge of rocks (Serra de Vuibez of 
Studer's map) that shut in on the N. 
side the head of the Vuibez Glacier. A 
short but steep ascent leads to this,which 
must be considered the true summit 
of the pass ; by Mr. E. Buxton's obser- 
vation it is 10,349 ft. in height. It 
may be reached in about 6 hrs., exclu- 
sive of halts, from Chermontane, or 
f hr. from the summit of the plateau, 
and commands a noble view extending 
through the openings between the sur- 
rounding peaks to many distant Alpine 
summits. Immediately to the N. de* 
scends the Glacier de Piece over which 
lies the descent to the Combe de 
l'Arolla. This is far from easy; the 
western side appears the least difficult, 
but several awkward places were 
passed, and, although running or 
glissading wherever possible, 1^- hr. 
was employed in reaching the W. mo- 
raine, which Mr. Cowell describes as 
the most gigantic that he has seen, 
requiring ^ hr. for its descent. The 
head of the Combe de l'Arolla seems 
to present vast remains of the working 
of former glaciers, six great moraines 
being here seen to lie side by side. 



ROUTE M. COL 

The well-marked dirt bands of the 
Arolla Glacier have attracted the atten- 
tion of several travellers. According 
to Sir T. F. Buxton, they are confined 
to the portion of the lower glacier that 
originates in the Vuibez ice-falls. 

Having crossed two other moraines, 
the party traversed the lower end of 
the Glacier de Cijorenove — Otemma 
Glacier of Studer's map — which bends 
round to the NE. so as nearly to meet 
the Glacier de Piece. Three further 
moraines, indicating the former limits 
of the first-named glacier, are also to 
be passed before the traveller enters 
the Combe de V Arolla near to the 
highest chalets, about 9 hrs. from 
Chermontane. The comfortable inn 
at Evolena (§ 19, Rte. A) is reached 
from hence in 2>\ hrs.' steady walking ; 
but if the traveller intends crossing the 
Col de Collon, or attempting the route 
to Zermatt by the Col de Zardezan 
(Rte. 9), he may find tolerable accom- 
modation in some of the neighbouring 
chalets. 



Route M. 

CHERMONTANE TO EVOLENA, OR HERE- 
MENCE, BY THE COL DU MONT ROUGE. 

This pass, known to some of the 
hunters of Bagnes, but very rarely 
used, is described by Professor Ulrich 
in his 4 Seitenthaler des Wallis, and 
by Mr. W. Mathews in the first 
series of ' Peaks, Passes, and Glaciers.' 
It is a longer and more laborious 
way to Evolena than that described 
in the last Rte., but would be the best 
for a traveller who would explore the 
upper end of the little-known Val d'He- 
remence. 

Descending from the Chalets de 
Chermontane to the Glacier du Mont 
Durand, the traveller at once quits the 
track which leads down the Val de 
Bagnes (Rte. D), and bearing to the 
right, across the end of the glacier, 
gains the rt. bank of the Dranse. 



DU MONT ROUGE. 273 

The lower part of the Glacier de Breney 
being steep and crevassed, it is neces- 
sary to climb the rocks on its S. bank 
until a point is reached from whence 
it may be conveniently attacked. In 
1856, when Messrs. W. and C. E. 
Mathews took this route, they found 
that the glacier de Breney showed 
signs of rapid retreat, while at the same 
time the neighbouring glaciers of 
Otemma and Mont Durand were evi- 
dently advancing, and had ploughed up 
the soil in front of the ice. They also 
found a series of wide longitudinal 
crevasses, which greatly increased the 
labour of traversing the Breney Glacier. 
The main stream of this glacier descends 
from a reservoir of neve between the 
Pigne d ; Arolla, the Mont Blanc de Cheil- 
lon, and the nameless peaks that sepa- 
rate this from the head of the Otemma 
Glacier. It receives from the NE. an 
afSuent descending from the Rouinette 
(12.727')- apeakwhich, on the opposite 
or W. side, supports the small glacier of 
Lire Rouge. To reach the Col du Mont 
Rouge it is necessary, after gaining the N. 
bank of the Glacier de Breney, to cross 
the neve of the Lire Rouge, without ap- 
proaching too near to the Rouinette, 
which sends down frequent avalanches. 
Mr. Mathews and his party found this 
small glacier very troublesome, from the 
great number of concealed ci evasses. A 
col, commanding a very fine view to 
the W. and S., separates the neve of the 
Glacier de Lire Rouge from that of the 
Glacier de Getroz. According to the 
Federal Map, this first pass is the 
Col du Mont Rouge, 10,958 ft. in 
height. It is here seen how exten- 
sive an upper reservoir of neve is 
drained by the comparatively small ice- 
fall which is all that is seen of the latter 
glacier from the Val de Bagnes. The 
upper basin now traversed is a nearly 
level snow-field lying W. of the 
Rouinette (12,7270 and the Mont Blanc 
de Cheillon (12,700'), apparently the 
highest summits of the mountain region 
lying between the Grand Combin and 
the Dent Blanche. 

On the E. side of the snow -field the 



274 



PENNINE ALPS. § 19. EVOLENA DISTRICT. 



traveller reaches a second col, 10,663 
ft. in height, forming the watershed 
between the Val de Bagnes and the 
Val d'Heremence. There has been 
much confusion as to the name of the 
considerable glacier which descends on 
the opposite side, first NE. then nenrly 
due N. towards the head of the Val d ; He- 
remence. It has appeared in the earlier 
maps under the names Durand, Liapey, 
and Lenaret, and in the Federal map 
under that of Glacier de Cheillon. It is 
apparently known in the Val de Bagnes 
as Glacier d'Heremence — an appro- 
priate name, since it closes the head of 
that valley. No account of the descent 
on the Heremence side has reached the 
editor. The track indicated in Studer's 
map is carried along the 1. bank, and 
not over the glacier. (See § 19, Rte. C. ) 
The distance from the foot of the glacier 
to the village of Heremence is counted 
as 6 hrs. The Messrs. Mathews, guided 
by Bernard Trolliet, passed round the 
xsTV side of the peak of Mont Blanc 
de Cheillon to reach a gap in the ridge 
connecting that mountain and the Pigne 
d'Arolla with the Pic de Vouasson 
(11,4760, and dividing the head of the 
Val d'Heremence from the Combe de 
l'Arolla. This gap is apparently the 
Pas de Chtvre of Studer's map, and is 
reached by an extremely narrow ledge 
of rock. ' This looked so ugly that we 
preferred keeping to the right, and 
crossing the ridge at a higher level. 
We got easily down to the other side. 
. . . We now found ourselves at the 
head of a desolate valley communicating 
with the Combe de l'Arolla, savage with 
piles of broken rock, and ghastly stems of 
scorched and withered pine.' — [W. M.] 
The descent lies not far from the 
W. bank of the Glacier de Cijorenove, 
and leads down to the upper chalets of 
the Combe de l'Arolla, nearly at the same 
point as in the last Rte. To reach 
these chalets from Chermontane, Mr. 
Mathews employed 11 hrs., of which 
but a short time was given to rest, so 
that this pass maybe counted as longer 
by 1 hr. or 1 J hr. than that described 
in the last Rte. 



SECTION 19. ' 

EVOLEXA DISTRICT. 

The principal valleys through which 
the drainage of the central portion of the 
Pennine Alps isborne down to the Rhone 
present some striking points of agree- 
ment. In ascendingthe valley s of Herens 
or Anniviers described in the present 
section, or that of Visp(§ 20), the travel- 
ler finds, after a few miles, that the main 
stream is formed by the union of two 
torrents originating in two nearly paral- 
lel glens, and uniting at the base of the 
mountain ridge which had previously 
divided them. Something of the same 
arrangement is seen in the valley of the 
Dranse(§ 18), but the bounding ranges 
do not follow so closely the meridional 
direction as in those just mentioned. 
Alternating with the gorges through 
which the Borgne, the Navisanche, and 
the Vispach flow into the Rhone valley, 
the much shorter valleys of Nendaz, 
Reschy, Turtman, and Gamsen, drain 
the N. part of the intervening mountain 
ranges. 

The two principal valleys here in- 
cluded, the Val d'Herens (Germ. Erin- 
ger Thai), and the Val d' Anniviers 
(Germ. Einfisch Thai), were until lately 
amongst the least known in the Swiss 
Alps, mainly because of an exaggerated 
impression that the inhabitants were a 
rude and semi-barbarous race, and that 
a traveller must there encounter an un- 
usual share of filth and privation. Upon 
seemingly slender grounds, some Swiss 
and German writers attributed to the 
people a foreign extraction (Scandina- 
vian or Cimbric), and made these val- 
leys the seat of peculiar legends which 
are common to a large portion of the 
Swiss Alps. In a first visit made by 
the writer in 1845 he found little or 
nothing in the language or appearance 
of the people of Val d'Anniviers to 
distinguish them from those of the val- 
ley of the Dranse, save what might be 



ROUTE A. VAL d'hERENS. 



275 



attributed to the rarity of their inter- 
course with strangers. They appeared 
very industrious and hospitably inclined, 
but extremely dirty in their habits. 
The necessities of their position lead 
them to live a partly nomadic life. 
The same family possessing some 
patches of arable land in the lower 
part of the valley, some pastures 
and meadows higher up, and a cattle 
alp on the upper slopes of the moun- 
tains, with perhaps a patch of vineyard 
in the valley of the Rhone, and each 
place being several hours'* walk distant 
from the other, they are led to change 
their dwellings several times in the 
year. Hence it is not uncommon to 
find large groups of houses called 
mayens, approaching the dimensions of 
a village, without a single inhabitant ; 
the place being used only for some 
weeks in the early summer, and again 
in the autumn, during the passage of 
the cattle between their winter quarters 
in the lower valley and the upper pas- 
tures. In point of scenery, these valleys, 
and especially the Val d'Anniviers, 
scarcely yield to any in the Swiss Alps, 
unless it be the neighbouring valleys of 
Zermatt and Saas. The opening of a 
good inn at Evolena, and of tolerable 
ones at Zinal and St. Luc, have done 
much to make this district accessible to 
strangers. The glacier passes leading 
out of them are full of interest to the 
mountaineer, but are all of them some- 
what laborious, and scarcely to be re- 
commended to ladies or to unpractised 
pedestrians. Those connecting the Val 
d'Herens with Chermontane have been 
described in the last section (Rtes. L 
and M). The main branch of that 
valley penetrates somewhat farther S. 
than the Val d'Heremence or the Val 
d'Anniviers, and is the only one which 
attains the dividing ridge, giving di- 
rect access to Piedmont. The head of 
the Val d'Anniviers is cut off from 
the great snow-fields between the 
Dent Blanche and the Dent d'He- 
rens (whence the Ferpecle Glacier de- 
scends towards Evolena, the Zmutt 
Glacier towards Zermatt, and the Zar- 

T 



dezan Glacier to the Val Pellina) by a 
very lofty ridge connecting the Dent 
Blanche with the Gabelhorn. 

It seems most convenient to fix as 
the eastern limit of this district the 
range separating the waters of the Visp 
from the Emfisch Thai and the Turt- 
man Thai, including the Gabelhorn, 
the Weisshorn (14,8040, and the lower 
range extending thence to the Augst- 
bordhorn (9,785'). To the S. it extends 
by the passes of the Col de Collon 
and the Coi des Bouquetins to the head 
of the Val Pellina. 



Route A. 

SION TO AOSTA, BY THE VAL I>'HERENS 
AND COL 13E COLLON. 



Mage 
St. Martin 
Evolena 

Chalets d'Arolla 
Praraven . 
Biona' 
Aosta 



Hrs 



walking 
2 
If 

6 

H 



Eng. miles 

f 

9 
12 

16! 



24i 64i 

There is a good mule-path from Siou 
to Evolena, and from Prarayen to 
Aosta. It is possible to make this route 
in two days, sleeping on the first night 
at the Chalets d'Arolla ; but it is a very 
long day's walk from thence to Aosta. 
Some persons have preferred to go in 
one day from Evolena to Biona, but a 
stranger arriving at the latter village in 
the evening is liable to find the cure 
absent, and the other inhabitants un- 
willing to admit him. it is a better 
plan to sleep at Evolena and at Pra- 
rayen, thus dividing the journey into 
three easy days. 

After crossing the bridge over the 
Rhone at Sion (§21, Rte. A), the road 
to the 1. hand leads to the narrow open- 
ing through which the Borgne issues 
from the Val d 9 Hei ens (Germ. Eringer 
Thai). The torrent is crossed close to 
Bramois, \ hr. from Sion, where there 
is a foundery. Here the ascent com- 
mences rather steeply. On the 1. hand, 
at some distance above the track, is a 
2 



276 



PEXXIXE ALPS. § 19. E VOL EX A DISTRICT. 



curious hermitage, called Longeborgjie, I 
inhabited by two monks. The whole j 
building, including the church and the 
altar, are hewn out of the live rock. I 
The track continues at a great height j 
above the gorge of the Borgne to Mage. 
From hence an ascent of 3 hrs., due E., 
leads to the summit of the Mont Noble 
(8,776'). said to command a fine pano- 
ramic view of the Bernese and neigh- 
bouring Pennine Alps. 

Several villages and hamlets are 
crowded into this part of the valley. 
Opposite Suen is the opening of the 
Yal d'Heremence, and a little above, 
in the main valley, but on the L bank, 
is Useigiie, near to which are some 
remarkable pinnacles, or columns of 
earth, each capped by a boulder of 
rock, which has protected the shaft 
from erosion by rain. To visit these, it 
is better to follow the path from Sion 
to Heremence (Rte. C), whence, cross- 
ing the gorge of the Dixence by a 
very picturesque bridge, the traveller 
may soon reach Useigne, visit the earth 
pinnacles, and continue his rte. to Evo- 
lena by a rough path along the 1. bank. 

Above St. Martin, the mule-track 
is less steep. It is carried along the 
E. side of the valley, in part through 
pine forest, till it reaches the rt. bank 
of the Borgne, which it follows for 
some distance, gaining occasional views 
of the snowy peaks to the S., until a 
further ascent leads to 

Evolena, the chief village of the val- 
ley (4.52 1'), where a good inn has 
lately been opened, very favourably re- 
ported of by travellers. The only 
complaint made is, that the landlord is 
inclined to recommend his own rela- 
tives, though young and inexperienced, 
for difficult mountain excursions. The 
people of this valley are said to have a 
full share of the national keenness in 
the pursuit of gain, and many com- 
plaints have been made of the exorbi- 
tant demands made upon travellers by 
guides, &c. It may therefore be an im- 
provement that a regular tariff should 
have been established. The following 
charges are fixed : — 



fr. c. 

Ordinary day's pay for a porter . .50 
for a guide merely showing 

the way 4 50 

„ for bearing a chaise a porteur . 6 



for porters or guides resting or 



returning h- me , 


. 4 


Guide to Ferpecle Glacier 


. 3 


,, to Glacier de Vouasson 


. 3 


,, to Couronne de Breona 


. 5 


,, to the Sasseneire . 


. 6 


,, to Trois Dents de Visivi 


. 7 


,, to Glacier de l'Arolla . 




,, to Cascade des Ignos . 


! 4 


to Aisuille de la Za 


. 6 


,, over Col de Torrent . 


. 5 






to the Bella Tola 


. 18 



The following are also enumerated, 
with the proviso that two guides must 
be taken by each traveller ; but the 
editor has not learned that any men 
from Evolena have accomplished the 
three last in the list, as to which the 
tariff adds that, besides the guides, 
porters must be engaged: 

fr. 



Over Col de Collcn to Biona ... 20 

„ Col d'Herens to Zermatt . . 20 

,, Col du Mont Rouge to Chermontane 18 

,, do. it' taken on to Ollomont . . 22 

Ascent of Mont Coilon .... 30 

of Pigne d'Ardla .... 30 

„ of Dent Blanche .... 50 



Excepting the last, these charges are 
fair enough, but travellers should ve- 
hemently resist the uniform rule re- 
quiring two guides to be taken for 
each stranger. Practised mountaineers 
are usually able to take their fair 
share of the labour of an ascent, and 
many Englishmen are better able 
to find the way over a glacier than 
the men of this valley. Inexperienced 
travellers, who do require a good deal 
of assistance, will do well to secure the 
companionship of some tried and well- 
known guides before attempting the 
peaks and passes of this district. 

The situation of Evolena is not to 
be compared with that of Zermatt, 
Chamouni, Courmayeur, or several 
other centres of mountaineering in- 
terest ; but in the excursions for which 
it forms the most convenient head- 
quarters, it is little inferior to any of 
those places. From hence radiate six 
first-rate glacier passes, noticed in the 



ROUTE A. COL DE COLLON. 



277 



last or the present section, besides 
which the numerous excursions in- 
cluded in the above tariff afford a 
tempting bill of fare to the moun- 
taineer. 

Of the neighbouring summits, the 
Sasseneire (10,692 ), and the Couronne 
de Breona (10,3820, offer the finest 
views. The former, lying N. of the 
Col de Torrent, is steep towards the 
summit, and requires a stiff climb. 
The second, easier of access, commands 
a view less panoramic, but nearer to 
the great peaks of the Dent Blanche 
and the Dent d'Herens. For a view of 
varied glacier scenery, that from the 
Aiguille de la Za (12,051') is, perhaps, 
superior to either. On the one side it 
overlooks the vast glaciers of Ferpecle 
and Mont Mine, and on the other those 
of Arolia, Vuibez, Piece, and Cijore- 
nove, backed by the Mont Collon. 
From the slope of the mountain above 
Hauderes, within 1 hr. of the village, 
there is a fine view of the Ferpecle 
Glacier and the Dent Blanche, which 
will well reward an afternoon stroll. 

In going from Evolena to the Arolia 
Glacier, the guides sometimes take a 
very rough path along the i. bank of 
the Borgne, but it is much better to 
follow the rt. bank to Hauderes, a poor 
hamlet nearly 1 hr. above the village. 
Here the stream from the great glacier 
of Ferpecle descends from the SE. to 
join the main branch of the Borgne, 
originating in the Glacier de F Arolia. 
The upper end of the Val d'Herens, 
above Hauderes, is called Combe de 
V Arolia, arolia being the local name for 
the Pinus Cembra, which is common in 
this part of the Pennine chain. This is 
a narrow glen, lying between a rugged 
chain of lofty peaks, sometimes collect- 
ively called Les Grandes Dents, en- 
closing it on the E. side, and the rather 
less formidable range which separates 
it from the head of the Val d'Here- 
mence. The range of the Grandes 
Dents extends about due S. from the 
Dent de Visivi through the Aiguille de 
la Za, and many intermediate peaks, to 
the summits known as the Dents de 



Bertol, or Dents des Bouquetins (§ 18, 
Rte. G). A little above Hauderes the 
path, after crossing the Ferpecle torrent, 
passes to the 1. bank of the Borgne, and 
advances through the Combe, amid 
scenery constantly increasing in wild 
and savage grandeur. Nearly 1 hr. 
above Hauderes is the Chapel of St. 
Barthelemi. and a little higher up on 
the rt. the fine Cascade des Ignos, 500 
ft in height. The last hamlet, con- 
sisting of may ens, is called Montd. 
Above this several chalets are perched 
here and there on the steep slopes of 
the valley. The highest are within 
2" hr of the foot of the glacier, and 
from thence, mounting to the rt., is the 
way to the Col de Chermontane (§ 18, 
Rte. L). 

The ascent to the Col de Collon from 
the N. side is not surpassed by many 
similar scenes in the Alps. The 
Glacier de I' Arolia makes two consider- 
able bends in opposite directions (the 
first being convex to the W.) so as to 
approach the form of the letter S. 
Round the first or lower curve it de- 
scends in a great ice-fail from the SE., 
while at the same part of its course it 
receives from the SW. the Glacier de 
Vuibez, forming a still grander ice- 
cascade, broken in the middle by an 
island of rock (see § 18, Rte. L). # The 
lower part of the united glacier is 
easily traversed, but on approaching 
the ice-fall it is necessary to take to 
the rocks on the E. bank. These are 
climbed by a stiff scramble, requiring 
some caution, especially after fresh 
snow. After gaining some height 
above the ice-fail, the traveller returns 
to the glacier, where the crevasses are 
no longer formidable, and, taking a 
nearly S. direction, cuts off the eastern 
curve of the upper glacier. The 
Mont Collon (12,264'), rising in -the 
fork between the Arolia and Vuibez 
glaciers, is here a very grand object, 
rising almost vertically from the edge 
of the glacier. The echo returned 
from its steep face has served to guide 
travellers surrounded by clouds, and 
uncertain as to their course. The pass 



278 



PENNINE ALPS. § 19. EVOLENA DISTRICT. 



is, however, one of those which should 
not be attempted in doubtful weather. 
The traveller's guide, if a native of the 
Val d'Herens, will not fail to tell the 
story of a party of villagers from 
Evolena overtaken by a snow-storm 
on this part of the glacier, and at- 
tempting to return after failing to find 
the pass, when three of them perished 
in the snow. Professor Forbes and his 
guide found one of the bodies in 1841. 
On the same part of the glacier the 
writer observed the fresh tracks of 
several wolves, apparently following 
those of some chamois. From this 
part of the glacier a wide opening to 
the 1. shows an extensive field of neve 
mounting gently to the SW. to- 
wards an opening in the ridge to the 
N. of the Pointe de Zardezan. This 
corresponds to a similar opening con- 
nected with the upper neve of the 
Zardezan Glacier, and forming the Col 
de Zardezan (§ 18, Rte. G). By com- 
bining this with the Col de la Val 
Pellina, a traveller may reach Zermatt 
from the Chalets d'Arella in 12 or 13 
hrs. Gradually ascending over the 
neve SE. of the peak of Mont Collon, 
the traveller, in about 4 hrs. from the 
Chalets d'Arolla. reaches the summit 
of the Col de Collon (10,269'), marked 
by a small iron cross, dated 1 754, stuck 
into a cleft of rock on the rt. The 
summit commands a wild scene of rock 
and snow-field, but no distant view. 
It overlooks tbe head of a glacier, 
much less considerable than that of 
Arolla, which descends SW. into the 
Combe d'Oren, a wild dreary glen con- 
nected with the head of the Yal Pel- 
lina. The descent on the SW. side is 
much easier than the ascent, the glacier 
being less crevassed. It is sometimes 
possible to descend the whole way by 
the ice, taking due heed of concealed 
crevasses ; but it is a surer course to 
cross diagonally the head of the glacier, 
and descend by the rocks on its SE. 
bank ; they are pretty steep, but quite 
free from difficulty. On reaching the 
valley below, whence the glacier appears 
to have retreated not long ago, the 



traveller may observe on the rt. the 
small glacier of La Reuse de l'Arolla, 
by which lies the way to Chermontane, 
described in § 18, Rte. K. The Combe 
d'Oren opens into the Val Pellina just 
below the principal chalets of Pra- 
rayen, whence Biona may be reached 
in 3 hrs., fast walking. (See § 18, 
Rte. G.) 

When the snow is in good order, 
6 hrs., exclusive of halts, suffice for the 
pass between the Arolla Chalets and 
those of Prarayen ; but, under unfavour- 
able conditions, an hr. or two more may 
be necessary, or a still longer time, if 
the true way over the Arolla Glacier 
should be missed. 



Route B. 

EVOLENA TO PRARAYEN BY THE COL 
DES BOUQUETINS. 

The existence of a pass leading 
direct from the lower end of the 
Ferpecle Glacier near Evolena to the 
head of the Val Pellina, has long been 
affirmed, and such a pass is indicated 
on the Oovernmant map of Piedmont, 
utterly incorrect as it is in regard to 
this part of the Pennine range. The 
same pass is again indicated on the 
Swiss Federal map by a dotted line, 
not carried down to the base of the 
glaciers on either side, with the name 
Col des Bouquetins. The only authentic 
information respecting it that has 
reached the editor is from Mr. W. E. 
Hall, who, with Mr. Digby, made the 
passage in 1862. The route taken by 
those gentlemen was in great part a 
combination of those of the Col d'Erin 
(Rte. D), and the Col de la Val Pellina 
(§ 18, Rte. G). 

Keeping by the W. side of the Fer- 
pecle Glacier to the part where the 
rocks begin to be mixed with ice and 
snow-slopes, they ascended these 
rocks, composed of red granite, steep, 
but affording good hold for feet and 
hands. These lead up to a snow- 
plateau lying on the W. side of the 



ROUTE C. — VAL d'hEREMENCE. 



270 



Tete Blanche, and falling away by a 
gentle declivity to the actual col, which 
is about where indicated by the Federal 
map. The height of this has been 
determined by the Swiss engineers, 
probably by levelling, at 11,214 ft. ; 
but the plateau near the base of the 
Tete Blanche, which must be traversed, 
is the true summit of the pass. This 
is about 200 ft. higher, or 11,414 ft. 
above the sea, being about the level of 
the Col d'Herens. Crossing the plateau 
about due S., and descending over 
debris at the base of the Tete Blanche, 
they joined the route of the Col de la Val 
Pellina, near the summit of the rocks 
overlooking the lower level of the 
Zardezan Glacier. 

The col, as laid down by the Swiss 
engineers, would connect the head of 
the Glacier de Mont Mine with the 
NW. part of the neve of the Glacier 
de Zardezan. The former may be 
considered as part of the great Fer- 
pecle Glacier, raised upon a terrace of 
rock to a higher level, until the two 
ice-streams finally unite a short waj' 
above the lower end of their course. 
Mr. Hall thinks it probable that the 
ascent 4 might be made by the Glacier 
de Mont Mine, though the passage of 
the seracs would certainly take a very 
long time,' and in that case a traveller 
would reach the col indicated on the 
Federal map. But if he were to at- 
tempt to descend on the S. side in the 
direction indicated by the dotted line 
on that map, he would find before him 
a perpendicular cliff of ice, and would 
finally be forced to ascend to the plateau 
at the base of the Tete Blanche, as 
above pointed out. 



Route C. 

SIGN TO THE VAL DE B AGNES, BY THE 
VAL D'HEREMENCE. 

To judge from the absence of in- 
formation, the Val d'Heremence is the 



only one of the upland valleys of the 
Pennine Alps which has failed to at- 
tract the notice of the members of the 
Alpine Club. From the scanty ma- 
terials available, chiefly derived from 
Berlepsch, several routes are here indi- 
cated, in the hope of directing further 
attention to a little-known district. 

After crossing the bridge over the 
Rhone at Sion a mule-track mounts a 
little E. of S., and then winds round 
the slope of the mountain at a great 
height above the gorge of the Borgne, 
gaining in 1| hr. the village of Vex or 
Vesch. On the opposite bank of the 
Borgne is seen the hermitage of Longe- 
borgne and the village of Nax. Of the 
three paths that lead from Vex the 
uppermost is chosen. Following this 
due S., the traveller in 1 hr. more 
reaches 

Heremence, a village commanding a 
fine view of the main Val d'Herens, 
with the peak of the Dent d'Herens in 
the background, and overlooking the 
junction of the Dixence with the 
Borgne. The former stream, rising in 
the Glacier de Cheillon, flows through 
the Val d'Heremence, also called Val 
d'Orchera. Descending to the bridge 
over the Dixence the traveller may 
reach Useigne and visit the remarkable 
earth pillars near it (Rte. A). The 
mule-path up the valley keeps to the 1. 
bank of the Dixence, and in I hr. 
farther reaches Marche, near which is 
a curious cave — Caverne d'Arzinol — 
said to bear traces of having served 
as a dwelling for some primitive inha- 
bitants of the valley. 2 hrs. far- 
ther are the Mayens de Prolong on the 
rt. bank of the stream, from whence 
the traveller may reach Evolena by 
the Pas d'Arzinol in 5 hrs. The 
Chalets de Me*ribe lie 1 hr. farther up. 
These are connected with Evolena by 
the Col de la Maigne, lying between 
the Pic d'Arzinol and Pic de Vouasson 

(11,4760- , _ # 

From Meribe a steep ascent leads to 
the upper level of the Val d'Heremence. 
More than an hour is required to reach 
the chalets of La Barma, whence lies a 



280 



PENNINE ALPS. § 19. EVOLENA DISTRICT. 



pass to Lourtier by the Col de Sever en 
(apparently the Col du Cret of the Fede- 
ral map), as to which the editor has re- 
ceived no information. Several groups 
of chalets lie higher up towards the 
head of the valley. Those of Liapey 
are near the lower end of the Glacier 
de Lenaret (Glacier de Liapey of 
Studer's map) descending from the N. 
side of the Mont Pleureur. A pass 
might possibly be made in that direc- 
tion to the Pont de Mauvoisin in the 
Val de Bagnes (§18, Rte. D), but the 
descent on the W. side would probably 
present some difficulty. About H hr. 
above La Barma, or 6^- hrs. "from 
Heremence, the valley is closed by the 
Glacier de Cheillun, over which lies the 
Colda Mont Rouge (§18, Rte. M), but 
no information as to the ascent to the 
col from this side has been obtained. 
A traveller desiring to pass from the 
head of this valley to the Combe de 
1'Arolla may mount along the W. side 
of the Glacier de Cheillon to the Col de 
Riedmatten (9,354'), said to command 
a very fine view of the head of that 
wild Alpine glen. The descent on the 
Arolla side is easy. Oxytropis fcetida, 
Car ex microylochin, and Ag?^ostis pur- 
purea have been found in this valley. 

The ascent of the Mont Blanc de 
Cheillon (12,700') mi£ht best be at- 
tempted from some of the chalets at 
the upper end of the Val d'Heremence. 
It does not appear to have yet 
attracted the attention of moun- 
taineers. 



Route D. 

EVOLENA TO ZERMATT, BY THE COL 
D'HERENS — ASCENT OE THE DENT 
BLANCHE. 

This pass, commonly written Col 
d'Erin, was first made known to Alpine 
travellers by Professor Forbes. Of 
late it has been so frequently traversed 
that it is now well known to the Zermatt 
guides. These charge 30 fr., and a 
single guide makes no objection to go 



with a practised mountaineer, returning 
alone. The Evolena tariff is now fixed 
(?) at 20 fr., but requires that each 
traveller should take two guides. In 
the case of a single traveller this is not 
unreasonable, because it is impossible 
for a single man to return over the 
pass without risk ; but in the case of two 
or more travellers used to glacier expe- 
ditions, there is not the least necessity 
for increasing the number of guides 
beyond that of the travellers. 

The owner of the Chalet of Bricolla 
has fitted up two small rooms with two 
beds in each for the accommodation of 
travellers, and there is an obvious ad- 
vantage in making that place the 
starting-point for the pass ; but the 
charges are said to surpass that reason- 
able degree of dearness that may be 
expected in such a situation. In the 
general interest, it is desirable to resist 
extortion, and some travellers have no 
objection to start from Evolena as early 
as 2 a.m., thus leaving sufficient time 
for the pass, even if the snow should 
happen to be in bad order. It is hard 
to calculate the time required, as the 
crevasses on the Zmutt side are some- 
times very troublesome, and at others 
present little difficulty. Some travellers 
have passed from Evolena to Zermatt 
in 11 hrs.' actual walking, but many 
others have employed 13 or even 14 hrs., 
exclusive of halts. 

At the hamlet of Haudercs, nearly 1 
hr. above Evolena, is the opening of the 
lateral valley through which the torrent 
from the Ferpecle Glacier descends from 
the SE. to join the Borgne. A path 
rises along the NE. side of the valley, 
and in about an hour reaches a point 
where it overlooks the lower end of 
the glacier. The Glacier de Ferpecle, 
with its affluent the Glacier de Mont 
Mine, is the NW. outlet of one of the 
most extensive snow-fields in the Alps. 
The general form is that of an elbow, 
being defined by two sets of nearly 
parallel ridges, which include several 
peaks of the first order. To the S. and 
W. is a ridge, which, passing through 
the Dent d'Herens (13,714'), extends 



ROUTE D. COL D'HERENS. 



281 



about due W. from the Matterhorn 
( 1 4,705') to the Dents de Bertol (1 2,4 1 2'), 
and then NNW. through the Dora 
Blanche (11,668') and the Aiguille de 
la Za to the Dents de Visivi (9,506'). 
Parallel to this, and about 5 m. distant 
to the N. and E. is the ridge running 
W. from the Gabelhorn (13,363') to 
the Dent Blanche (14,318'), and 
thence NNW. through the Grand 
Cornier (13,022') to the Couronne de 
Breona (10,382'). The space included 
between these ridges is divided trans- 
versely by a ridge averaging nearly 
12,000 ft. in height, connecting the 
Dent Blanche with the Dent d'Herens, 
which rises about half-way into the 
snow pyramid of the Tete Blanche 
(12,304'), the central point of this 
icy region. A part of the plateau 
being higher than the ridge between 
the Dent d'Herens and the Dents de 
Bertol, the surplus neve is poured down 
to the S., forming the ice -fall of the 
Glacier de Zardezan (§ 18, Rte. G). A 
ridge extending from the Tete Blanche 
parallel to the direction of the Glacier 
de Ferpecle divides it from the parallel 
Glacier de Mont Mine. 

The track to the Col d'Herens, after 
passing several chalets, ascends rapidly 
to those of Bricolla, several hundred ft. 
above the rt. bank of the glacier, 3| hrs. 
from Evolena. The view is worth the 
walk from Evolena for those who do not 
intend crossing the pass. From the 
chalets a faintly-marked track mounts 
along the rt. bank, chiefly by the lateral 
moraine, till in 50 min. it becomes ne- 
cessary to take to the ice opposite to 
an island of rock rising in the middle 
of the glacier called Motta Rotta. 
Behind the latter is the snow summit 
of the Tete Blanche, connected with 
the Dent Blanche by a ridge called the 
Wandfluh, on this side covered with 
snow, but on the other showing a 
precipitous face of bare rock. The 
pass lies over the lowest part of this 
ridge a short way NE. of the Tete 
Blanche. The exact course to be taken 
across the glacier varies with the season, 
but, in general, the best way lies about 



mid-way between the Motta Rotta and 
the Wandfluh. When the upper neve 
is reached the ascent to the summit is 
easy, unless there should be fresh snow 
in the way. Some grand objects are 
visible from the col, of which the 
Matterhorn is preeminent ; but, in spite 
of its great height (11,418 ft.), it does 
not command a very wide circuit. To 
see the Monte Rosa chain it is necessary 
to ascend a short distance to the 1. to 
an eminence in the ridge of the Wand- 
fluh (the Stockholm of Professor Forbes) 
about 350 ft. above the actual col, or, 
if time allows, it is better still to ascend 
the Tete Blanche. (See § 18, Rte. G.) 
The descent on the E. side of the col 
is usually much more difficult than 
the ascent. As already mentioned, the 
Wandfluh shows a bold front of rock 
on its E. side, and is in great part 
guarded at the base by a wide berg- 
schrund. This wall is lowest and least 
difficult near the col, where it is re- 
duced to a steep slope of about 100 ft., 
partly coated with snow. Caution is 
required for the descent, which lands 
the traveller on the upper basin of 
the Zmutt Glacier. This is much 
crevassed, and a good deal of time is 
consumed in reaching a projecting point 
of rock which is the top of the Stockje, 
a considerable island dividing the upper 
Zmutt glacier into two branches, of 
which the stream between the Stockje 
and the Wandfluh is called on the 
Federal map Stock Gletscher, and that 
between the Stockje and the Matter- 
horn, Tiefenmatten Gletscher. It is by 
the latter branch that the descent is 
effected, in great part along the steep 
rocks of the Stockje. Near the bottom 
it is usual to take to the ice and then 
again return for 5 min. to the rocks, 
until the difficulties of the pass are over 
as the traveller finally gains the lower 
slopes of the Zmutt Glacier. # This 
great ice-stream, highly interesting to 
the geologist from the varied rocks that 
are found in its moraines borne down 
from the inaccessible ledges of the 
Matterhorn, the Dent d'Herens, the 
Dent Blanche, &c, is unpleasing to the 



282 



PENNINE ALPS. § 19. E VOL EN A DISTRICT. 



eye and tiresome to the feet from the i 
extraordinary quantity of debris that j 
covers its lower extremity, not merely 
accumulated in moraines, hut strewn 
over the entire surface. It is with 
satisfaction that the traveller finally 
leaves the ice on the rt. bank about 
\ hr. above the end of the glacier. At 
the Chalets of Staffel one of the regular 
tracks of the Zermatt tourist leads the 
traveller along the rt. bank of the 
torrent, which he should cross opposite 
to the hamlet of Zmutt by a bridge 
over a remarkable chasm, and, if he has 
not encountered unusual difficulties on 
the glacier, he will in about l^hr. from 
the Staffel Alp, 4j hrs. from the sum- 
mit of the Stockje, or in 5 J hrs. from 
the col, reach Zermatt (§20, Rte. A). 

The traveller is warned not to attempt 
a short cut by taking to the L bank of 
the Zmutt Glacier in descending from 
the Stockje, as this involves additional 
labour and delay. 

The ascent of the Dent Blanche 
(14,318') is an expedition which can be 
recommended only to first-rate moun- 
taineers. It appears to have been 
achieved but once, and an interesting 
account of it is given in the first num- 
ber of the 'Alpine Journal,' by Mr. T. 
S. Kennedy, who, after an unsuccessful 
attempt on the 9th July, 1862, returned 
to the attack on the 18th of that month, 
accompanied by Messrs. W. & C. Wig- 
ram, with J. B. Croz as guide, and one 
of the KroDigs of Zermatt as porter. 

After reaching the Glacier de 
Ferpecle by the usual rte. from the 
Chalets of Bricolla, whence they had 
started at 3 a.m., they bore to the L 
along the base of a precipitous rocky 
slope, and mounted by a steep and 
crevassed part of the glacier 'to the 
ridge of the mountain, which stretches 
from the summit towards the Col 
d'Herens. Here Mr. C. Wigram, not ! 
being in good training, found it neces- 
sary to halt. The ascent lay at first 
over loose rocks, and then up an ice- 
slope to a little plateau at the lower end 
of the main arete. This is formed of 
projecting towers and pinnacles of rock, I 



alternating with very steep slopes of 
ice, and the course lies sometimes round 
the base of the rocks, sometimes along 
the edge of the arete. In addition to 
the inevitable difficulties of the way, 
the weather was extremely unfavour- 
able, violent wind and clouds sweeping 
round the peak of the mountain. In 
one place a rock covered with snow, 
and with a slope of 52°, was climbed 
on hands and knees, and at last the top 
of the arete was found to consist of an 
overhanging cornice of snow. The 
actual highest point, 6 or 7 ft. higher 
than the nearly level ridge, overhung so 
much that it was thought too dangerous 
to trust a man's weight to it The de- 
scent was found to be quite as difficult 
as the ascent, and 10 hrs. were spent in 
mounting and returning along the arete. 
The whole expedition from Bricolla 
and back again, with but few and short 
halts, took 16 hrs, 

The Matterhorn, though naturally 
connected with this Rte., is more con- 
veniently described in connection with 
Zermatt* and Breuil (§ 20, Rte. B). 



Route E. 

SIERRE TO ZERMATT, BY THE TAL 
d'anxiviers AND THE TRIFT JOCH. 

Hrs.' walking Eng. miles 



Xiouc 


• H 


Vissoie 


. 2 


Aver . 




Zina . 


: it 


Zermatt 


. 9 







Very few valleys in the Alps lie 
through such beautiful and varied 
scenery as the Vol aVAnniviers (Germ. 
Einfisch Thai), or lead to passes so 
singular and so grand as both of those 
from thence to Zermatt. A good mule- 
i path is carried as far as Zinal, and 
very fair mountain inns have been 
opened at that place and at St. Luc. A 
tariff for guides has been established, 
fixing 5 fr. as the ordinary daily pay, 
with an addition of 1 fr. to the com- 
I mune for the maintenance of paths. 



ROUTE E. VAL d'aNNIVIERS. 



283 



The latter is an unusual charge, but it 
is fair to say that a good deal has been 
done by the natives to facilitate the 
visits of strangers. 

The Rhone is crossed by a bridge 
about f ra. E. of Sierre (§21, Rte. A), 
and then a char-road to the rt. leads in 
J hr. to the opening of the gorge of 
Pontis, through which the Navisanche 
descends to join the Rhone. Avoiding 
the bridge which crosses that stream to 
Chippis, a mule-path mounts rather 
steeply on the rt. bank to the village of 
Niouc. There are few finer defiles in 
the Alps than that through which the 
Navisanche has cut its way to join the 
Rhone. The ravine is in some parts 
reduced to a mere cleft, reminding the 
traveller of some of the more striking 
scenes in the gorge of the Via Mala ; 
but little is seen from the track, which 
lies at a great height above the stream, 
and the new path, which has in two or 
three places been pierced by a short 
tunnel through the rock, is far less pic- 
turesque, though also less laborious and 
shorter, than the old way. The scenery, 
even with this deduction, is extremely 
beautiful. The hamlet of Fang, lying 
in the midst of fine walnut-trees, is 
passed, and soon after the spire of a 
church comes into view. This belongs to 

Vissoie, the principal village of the 
valley. It has no inn, for till lately 
there was none in the entire valley. 
Hospitality was formerly obtained from 
the cure, but a traveller wishing to halt 
in this neighbourhood should mount the 
steep E. slope of the valley to St. Luc, 
where there is a very good inn, con- 
venient for several passes and excur- 
sions (Rtes.. 1 and K). The traveller 
cannot fail to be struck by the large 
number of villages and scattered houses 
seen in this valley. Even more than 
in the adjoining Yal d'Herens the 
natives lead a nomadic life, and each 
family has a number of dwellings, 
which sometimes exceeds that of the 
inmates. Fires have been particularly 
destructive here ; few villages have 
escaped, and that of St. Luc has been 
twice consumed within the last 20 years. 



Evidence of the industry of the people 
is seen in the unusual number of water 
channels, often several miles in length, 
by which the bare mountain-slopes have 
been made to burst into verdure. 

A track along the rt. bank leads from 
Vissoie to Mission an&Ayer, both poor- 
looking places, the former opposite the 
fork of the valley where the stream 
from the Val de Torrent joins the main 
branch of the Navisanche. Above 
Ayer there are no winter dwellings, the 
numerous hamlets consisting only of 
may ens. About 6 m. farther the tor- 
rent is crossed to the 1. bank, and the 
track ascends through pine forest, open- 
ing again at a higher level, where are 
several clusters of houses, the highest 
of which is called ZinaL A good and 
clean little mountain inn has been 
opened here, but the accommodation is 
limited. 

Those who may not intend to cross 
either of the passes to Zermatt should 
not fail to mount to the Arpitetta Alp, 
commanding a magnificent view of the 
W. side of the Weisshorn, with the 
adjoining peaks of the Schallhorn and 
Rothhorn, inclosing the Glacier de 
Morning, a scene worthy of comparison 
with that from the Belvedere above 
Macugnaga. Farther S. is the great 
Zinal glacier, or Glacier de Durand, 
running up to the snow-col described in 
the next Rte. The glacier is said to be 
still better seen from the Mont de la 
Lee, on the opposite or W. side of the 
valley. A more considerable expedi- 
tion is the ascent of Lo Besso, a very 
remarkable obelisk of bare rock, rising 
from the E. bank of the glacier too 
steeply for snow to lie upon it, 12,057 
ft. in height. Two attempts to ascend 
the Weisshorn along the N. arete from 
Zinal encountered unavoidable obsta- 
cles, and that beautiful peak is probably 
to be reached only from the Schallen- 
berg side. (See § 20, Rte. A, Excursion 
10.) It is probable that a mountaineer, 
with good guides, might find a new and 
interesting way from Zinal to St. Ni- 
klaus, by the head of the Turtman 
Glacier and the Barrhorn (1 1,9190. 



284 



PENNINE ALPS. § 19. EVOLENA DISTRICT. 



A very interesting way to St. Luc is 
noticed in Rte. I. 

The passage of the Trift Joch, or 
Col de Zinai, might formerly be 
reckoned among the most difficult in 
the Alps, especially when, as in the 
account given by Mr. Hinchliff in 
' Peaks, Passes, and Glaciers,' it was 
made from Zermatt; but the somewhat 
formidable di Acuities of the rocks on 
the Zinal side have been in great part 
removed by the aid of a ladder fixed to 
the rock, and towards the summit by 
an iron chain 70 ft. long, which helps 
the traveller over the most awkward 
part of the climb. 

A track crosses the torrent a little 
above Zinal, where the glacier, though 
near at hand, is not visible, as just be- 
low its lower end the valley is nearly 
closed by a barrier of rock, through a 
cleft in which the stream has cut its 
way. The track mounts over this bar- 
rier, and keeps along the W. bank 
at some height above the ice, then takes 
to the moraine, and the traveller enters 
on the Glacier de Zinal, fully 2 hrs. 
from Zinal. The lower part is free I 
from difficulty, and the course taken is 
to cross diagonally to the foot of Lo 
Besso, which is here an extremely 
grand object. The traveller is now 
confronted by a series of rapids, in 
which the glacier descends from the 
upper basin to the lower level hitherto 
traversed. Early in the season the 
crevasses are not so formidable but that 
the ascent over the ice is still possible, 
but it is generally necessary to take to 
the moraine on the E. bank, just under 
Lo Besso. Above the ice-rapids the 
traveller reaches the upper level of the 
glacier, and finds himself in the midst 
of one of the grandest scenes in the 
Alps. The amphitheatre enclosing the 
head of the Zinai Glacier comprises at 
least four peaks exceeding 13,000 ft. 
in height — the Rothhorn (13,855'), the 
Gabelhorn (13,363'), the Dent Blanche 
(14,3 18'), and the Grand Cornier 
(13,022') — and the steepness and prox- 
imity of this mighty range greatly 
enhance the effect, which in its way is 



hardly equalled elsewhere. The tra- 
veller who has reached Zinal without 
intending to cross the range to Zermatt 
should not fail to extend his excursion 
to this point. Projecting buttresses of 
rock descending from the above-named 
peaks divide the snow- fields into sepa- 
rate bays, and that leading to the Trift 
Joch is seen to the 1. of a ridge descend- 
ing from the Gabelhorn. After climbing 
some steep snow- slopes to the foot of 
the precipices, the ascent lies up rocks 
of extraordinary height and steepness, 
and the help of a practised guide is re- 
quired to hit off the exact points where 
the artificial aid provided by the people 
of Zinal has relieved the pass of its most 
formidable difficulties. It is desirable 
to pass as early as possible in the day, 
as the only real danger is on the snow- 
slopes below the final ascent from frag- 
ments of rock that are loosened when 
the sun begins to tell on the crest of the 
ridge. 

Mr. Bonney, who passed in 1860, 
found 5 J hrs., exclusive of halts, suffi- 
cient for the ascent from Zinal to the 
summit, and rather less than 3^ hrs. for 
the descent to Zermatt. 

The Trift Joch, or Col de Zinal, 
11,614 ft. in height, and marked by a 
small wooden cross, is a mere notch in 
the ridge between the Gabelhorn and 
the Tnfthorn (12,261'), a few ft. in 
width, and so sharp that it is possible to 
sit astride with one leg on each side of 
the ridge. The view of Monte Rosa 
and the Saas Grat is of the grandest 
character, and a mountaineer cannot 
approach Zermatt by any way which 
will give him a more indelible first im- 
pression than by this or the following 
lite. The view backwards, where the 
rocks seem to plunge vertically down 
towards the head of the Zinal Glacier, 
is scarcely less striking. The descent 
by a steep snow -slope will not appear 
formidable to the experienced moun- 
taineer, but a bergschrund separating it 
from the upper level of the glacier may 
sometimes give a little trouble. The 
course now lies across the neve of the 
Trift Gletscher to the base of a spur 



ROUTE F. — COL DURAND. 



285 



projecting from the Rothhorn, where 
care should be taken to avoid the path 
of falling blocks of ice. From hence 
the descent lies in part over the ice, and 
partly by the moraine of the Trift 
Glacier. At the base of the glacier 
the way is along the stream of the 
Triftbach, and it is possible to descend 
direct to Zermatt through the steep and 
narrow ravine of the Trift, or to find a 
rather easier path over the mountain to 
the rt. of the stream. 

Until passed in 1855 by Mr. Chap- 
man, and in 1857 by Mr. HinchlifT and 
two friends, this pass was not known to 
travellers, and only by a vague tradition 
to the people of Zermatt. It is now 
deservedly frequented by adventurous 
mountaineers, but has more recently 
found a rival in the pass next described. 
Several of the Zermatt guides are well 
acquainted with the rte-, and an efficient 
guide, named Joseph Viennin, of Ayer, 
in the Val d'Anniviers, is competent 
to lead travellers over either this or the 
following pass. 



Route F. 

ZINAL TO ZERMATT, BY THE COL 
DURAND, OR COL DE LA DENT 
BLANCHE. 

The authors of the Swiss Federal 
map have adopted the name Glacier de 
Durand for that more generally known 
as Glacier de Zinal. The decision is 
unfortunate, as that name has been 
applied, in turn, to several other glaciers 
in this district. It very probably has 
the same origjn as the names Val 
d'Herens or d'Erin, Dent de Rong, &c. 
Be this as it may, the name Col Durand 
has been given on that map to the pass 
at the head of this glacier, over the 
ridge connecting the Dent Blanche 
with the Gabelhorn, first traversed in 
August 1859 by Messrs. W. & G. S. 
Mathews, with Jos. Viennin, of Zinal, 
and two Chamouni guides. The pass 
was called by Mr. W. Mathews Col 
de la Dent Blanche, by which name 



it is known in the Val' d'Anniviers. 
It is decidedly longer than the Trift 
Joch, requiring from lOjto 11 J hrs., 
exclusive of halts. As well as the 
last pass, it is advantageous to take 
this from the Zinal side, and so enjoy 
the charm of surprise on gaining the 
grand view from the summit. There 
is the further advantage, that if the 
bergschrund on the Zinal Glacier were 
found impracticable, there would yet be 
time to reach Zermatt by the Trift 
Joch. This pass forms the S. termi- 
nation of the Zinal Glacier, being the 
lov/est point, and about half-way in the 
range connecting the Dent Blanche with 
the Gabelhorn. It is seen from many 
of the higher points in the V al d'An- 
niviers, and even from the village of 
St. Luc (Rte. I), with the peak of the 
Matterhorn, here called Grande Cou- 
ronne, towering behind it. 

Having reached the upper neve of 
the Zinal Glacier in about 3^ hrs. from 
the inn, the traveller, instead of bear- 
ing to the 1., keeps on about due S. 
towards an island of rock which 
divides the upper slope of neve de- 
scending from the col. Keeping E. 
of this rock, the ascent here becomes 
steep and laborious, and some distance 
higher up the bergschrund is encoun- 
tered, which is the only serious difficulty 
of this rte. This is, however, except 
early in the summer, a very formidable 
one, as it was found by Messrs. Mathews 
in the first passage of the col. Ex- 
amined through a glass by the writer 
in Sept. 1853, it appeared to extend 
without abridge right across the head of 
the glacier, with a breadth of from 20 
to 30 ft. Once over this barrier, the 
ascent presents no further difficulty, 
and the summit of the col (11,398') is 
reached in 6 or 6j hrs. from Zinal. 

The view from the summit which 
bursts suddenly upon the traveller, or, 
better still, some way lower down from 
the angle of the Ebihorn, is by some 
excellent judges considered to be the 
grandest in the Pennine Alps. Right 
opposite, the marvellous peak of the 
Matterhorn presents its most imposing 



286 



PENNINE ALPS. § 19. EVOLENA DISTRICT. 



aspect, flanked to the rt. by its rival 
the Dent d'Herens. To the L is the 
mass of the Monte Rosa range, some- 
what foreshortened, and N. of the 
Weissthor rise the Strahlhorn and 
Rympfischhorn. As compared with 
the neighbouring pass of the Trift Joch, 
the panorama loses the remaining peaks 
of the Saas Grat, but the loss is more 
than made up by the Matterhorn, not 
seen from the rival pass. The peaks 
surrounding the head of the Zinal Gla- 
cier must not be forgotten, nor that 
of the Dent Blanche, seemingly close 
at hand, though separated by a rocky 
tooth (Pointe de Zinal) crowning the 
ridge which divides the Schdnbuhl from 
the Hochiuang Glacier. 

The descent lies by the head of the 
latter, bearing to the I. so as to gain 
the slopes of the Ebihorn which sepa- 
rates it from the small Arbe Glacier to 
the E. It would appear that the same 
course has not been followed by the 
few travellers who have crossed this 
way. While so experienced a moun- 
taineer as Mr. Tuckett encountered 
considerable difficulty in the descent at 
the head of the Hochwang Glacier, 
Mr. Bonney crossing in the same season 
from Zermatt found none whatever at 
this side of the col. The latter gives the 
following advice to those who ascend 
after having reached the neve above 
the Ebihorn : — ' Of the two apparent 
cols visible when on the snow, take 
the one to the left. We took the other 
and found the descent on the farther 
side difficult. . . . The view from the side 
of the Ebihorn just when the snow is 
reached is perhaps the finest I have 
seen near Zermatt : it includes every- 
thing from the Col d'Erin to the 
Alphubel. It is a little higher than the 
Hornli, and is within the reach of ladies 
who are good walkers.' The descent 
from the col to the foot of the Ebihorn 
is made in 2j hrs. It is possible to 
keep along the slopes N. of the Zmutt 
Glacier, and to reach Zermatt by the 1. 
bank of the torrent ; but Mr. W. Ma- 
thews advises travellers to cross at once 
to the rt. bank of the glacier, and then 



follow the usual track to Zermatt (§ 18, 
Rte. E). 

It is important to start from Zinal 
one or two hours before sunrise, as the 
difficulties of the Zinal Glacier are 
much increased when the sun has 
begun to tell on the surface. 



Route G. 

EVOLENA TO VISSOIE, BY THE VAL DE 
TORRENT. 

The western branch of the Val 
d'Anniviers which joins the Zinal 
branch about 1 hr. S. of Vissoie, is 
called Val de Torrent (Germ. Torrent- 
that). This is connected with the Yal 
d'Herens by four different passes, one 
of which only is known to the editor. 
They are all of about the same height, 
and probably equally free from diffi- 
culty. The head of the Val de Torrent 
is closed by a considerable glacier, 
Gl de Torrent, or Gl. de Moiry, formed 
in the acute angle between two ridges 
that diverge from the Grand Cornier. 
One of these divides the Val d'Herens 
from the Val de Torrent ; the other, 
running due N. to the Corne de Sore- 
bois, forms the separation between the 
Zinal and Torrent branches of the Val 
d'Anniviers. 

1. ColdeBreona (9,5740. This is 
the southernmost of the above-men- 
tioned passes, and should be the most 
interesting, as it descends upon the 
Torrent Glacier, about 3 m. N. of the 
Grand Cornier. 

2. Col du Chatel, or du Zate (9,433'). 
This is said to be the steepest of the 
passes here named, and not to command 
any distant view. 

3. Col de Torrent (9,5930- This is 
the pass usually taken by the people of 
Evolena. It is free from difficulty, but 
scarcely fit for laden mules. 

' Leaving Evolena, pass eastwards up 
the mountain slopes, and to the south 
of Mont Colaire, towards a gap in the 
ridge dividing the Val d'Herens from 
I the Val de Moiry or de Torrent. In 



ROUTE H. COL DE SOREBOIS. 



287 



3 hrs. the top of the slopes is gained 
and i hr. more takes the mountaineer 
up the last ascent, a stiff rise over flat 
rocks intermingled with snow patches 
and shale banks, to the Col de Torrent. 
A rude cross in the gap marks the 
col. The chain falls away to the 
north, but rises again to a higher ele- 
vation called the Sasseneire. Look- 
ing back westward, the view displays 
the range from the Mont Collon 
to the Pigne d'Arolla and the Mont 
Pleureur, with the Grand Combin and 
the Velan in the distance. The view 
eastward is not so fine, but, below the 
col, a little snow-fed lake forms a 
pleasing object in the wild scenery 
around, the snow on this side being 
more abundant than on the Evolena 
side. The descent to the lake is made 
in 15 min. by a well-marked track. De- 
scending the slopes beyond, still east- 
wards, the route lies amongst groups of 
fantastically-shaped rocks. These are 
at times surmounted by little heaps 
of stones piled up to serve as guide- 
posts. Ultimately a mountain stream 
is reached, along which a path leads in 
hr. from the lake down to the Val 
de Torrent. The glacier at its head 
is not seen, and the scenery reminds 
the traveller of a Highland strath.' — 
[F. W. J.] A mule-path leads down 
to Cremenz, the only village in this 
branch of the valley, close to its junc- 
tion with that of Zinal. If the traveller 
be bound for Zinal or St. Luc, he will 
do well to turn to the rt., crossing both 
streams above the junction, and gain- 
ing [the main track on the E. side of 
the valley at Mission (Rte. E). To 
reach Vissoie and Sierre he should 
keep from Cremenz along the 1. bank 
of the Navisanche till he reaches the 
bridge opposite to Vissoie (Rte. E), 
8 hrs. from Evolena by this rte. 

LeontodonTaraxaci is found in abund- 
ance near the summit of the pass. 

4. Pas de Lona (8,9260- This is 
said to be an easy pass, traversed by 
a good mule-path. It leads, in 6 hrs., 
from Eison, about l£ hr. below Evo- 
lena, to the Val de Torrent, about ^ hr. 



above Cremenz. The pass lies between 
the Sasseneire (10,6920 and the Bee de 
Bossons ( 10,368')* Both are said to be 
accessible, and the latter, though some- 
what lower, is probably better situated 
for a panoramic view of the ranges 
enclosing the valley of the Rhone. 



Route H. 

EYOLENA TO ZINAL, BY THE COL DE 
SOREBOIS. 

Before this pass was known, the few 
travellers who visited Zinal were forced 
to make a long detour by Cremenz 
and Ayer, in order to reach that place 
from Evolena. This pass affords a 
shorter and much more interesting 
way. In its natural condition it was 
very steep, but a mule-track has been 
made, and English ladies have ridden 
across, accomplishing the whole dis- 
tance between Zinal and Evolena in 12 
hrs. 

Having reached a hut which stands 
at the junction of the brook descending 
from the Col de Torrent (last Rte.) with 
the main stream of the Val de Torrent, 
the traveller crosses the latter stream, 
passing a deserted hut, and ascends 
rather N. of E. towards the col. ' The 
last ascent is steep, amongst rocks and 
snow-patches, but a little more to the 
N. a track has been recently made 
which will prove less fatiguing. The 
summit of the col, which will be reached 
in 2 hrs. from the hut, is 9,259 ft. high. 
The view back is confined by the higher 
elevation of the Torrent chain, but 
eastwards, towards the Weisshorn and 
the range on the farther side of the Val 
d'Anniviers, it is more interesting. 
After descending from the col, strike 
away to the 1. or N. of the stream, 
and in f hr. a considerable cattle-alp is 
reached. The descent thence to Zinal 
is very steep, and difficulty may be 
found in getting down the cliff to the 
forest below, if, in ignorance of the 
pass, precise directions are not obtained 
at the chalet. Zinal will be reached 



288 



PEXXIXE ALPS. § 19. EVOLENA DISTRICT. 



in 1^ hr. from the chalet.' — [F. W. J.] 
It has heen suggested that an active 
mountaineer might take the Pigne de 
la Lex and the upper part of the Tor- 
rent Glacier in his way from Zinal to 
Evolena, but this would involve a very- 
long day's walk. 



Route I. 

VISSOIE TO TURTMAN, BY THE PAS DE 
BCEUF AND THE TURTMAN TEAL. 

The Turtman Thai, which opens into 
the valley of the Rhone at the little 
town of that name, well deserves a visit 
from any traveller exploring this neigh- 
bourhood. Occupied by forest, and 
rock, and mountain pastures, it contains 
no permanent habitations. The nume- 
rous hamlets which are laid down on 
maps, and may be seen from the moun- 
tains enclosing the valley, all consist of 
may ens, closed in winter when the 
people descend to the valley of the 
Rhone, and in summer when they are 
engaged in the higher pastures. A. 
little inn is, however, now open at Gru- 
ben during the summer, and travellers 
will no longer be forced to pass the 
night there without food or shelter, as 
happened to the writer in August, 1845. 
(See next Rte.) 

From Vissoie a path mounts the steep 
E. slope of the valley to St. Luc (5,453'), 
where a good little inn (Hotel de Bella 
Tola) has been lately opened. This 
village has risen again after being burnt 
to the ground in 1844, and again in 
1858. It commands a fine view of the 
valley, extending beyond the Col Du- 
rand to the peak of the Matterhorn. It 
is reached from Sierre by a direct path 
turning off to the 1. from that leading 
to Vissoie. 

[Another interesting route by which 
this place may be approached from the 
valley of the Rhone, is by a torrent 
which joins that river opposite the town 
of Leuk (Loeche), and leads up to the 
Illsee, a little lake lying under the Ill- 



horn (8,939'), a curious peak hollowed 
like a crater, which is said to command 
a fine view. Passing a col SE of the 
mountain, St. Luc may be reached in 
5 or 6 hrs. from Susten or Leuk (§21, 
Rte. A).] 

Since a comfortable inn has been 
opened there, St. Luc has become an 
attractive spot to mountaineers. The 
landlord is a good mountaineer, who 
in 1862 made a very bold though un- 
successful attempt at the ascent of the 
Weisshorn. Under his guidance a very 
interesting walk may be made from 
here to Zinal, along the range separat- 
ing the Turtman Thai from the Val 
d'Anniviers. Keeping to the W. side 
of the Tounot (Rte. K), the track of 
the Pas de la Forcletta is traversed at 
right angles, and then the way lies by 
a small glacier descending from the 
peak of the Diablons. A glorious view 
of the Weisshorn and the Turtman 
Glacier is now gained, and the descent 
to Zinal by the Arpitetta Alp (Rte. E) 
lies through Alpine scenery of the 
grandest character. 

The chief object of most visitors to 
St. Luc is the ascent of the Bella Tola 
(9.929'). an expedition easily made by 
ladies. It may be observed as a general 
rule that all the detached summits lying 
between the great ranges of the Pennine 
and Bernese Alps command panoramic 
views that amply reward an ascent, 
when made with favourable weather. 
That of the Bella Tola is now one of 
the most easily accessible, as the vil- 
lagers have made a mule-track by 
which the summit is reached in 3 hrs. 

The most direct way from St. Luc 
to the Turtman Thai is by the Pas du 
Bceuf (9,1540, a pass lying S. of the 
Bella Tola and the adjoining summit 
of the Borterhorn (9, 74 5'). The descent 
on the E. side lies through the lateral 
glen called BorterthaU passing the 
Chalets of Pletschen. The mule-track 
between Turtman and Z'meiden is 
reached in 6 hrs. from St. Luc. The 
descent to Turtman is in great 
part through a vast pine forest which 
once covered the entire middle region 



ROUTE K. — Z'MEIDEN PASS. 



289 



of the valley; but of late years 
the axe has made extensive clearings. 
The track lies along the 1. bank, and 
on approaching the valley of the Rhone 
descends rather steeply above the gorge 
in which the waterfall (§ 21, Rte. A) 
remains concealed from the traveller 
following this route. In about 8^ hrs. 
from St. Luc the traveller reaches 
Turtman. 

It will be observed that in following 
this or the following route the traveller 
leaves a population speaking a patois 
aliied to modern French, to enter 
amongst a people speaking the German 
dialect of the upper Valais. Some writers 
have found, or fancied, the existence of 
marked local peculiarities in the dialect 
of the Turtmanthal. It is, to say the 
least, highly improbable that a people 
not isolated, but spending more than 
half the year in the valley of Rhone, 
should maintain such a barrier between 
themselves and their neighbours. The 
valley has, properly speaking, no in- 
habitants. Certain villagers of the 
main valley owning the woods and 
pastures resort to the mountains during 
the summer. The greater part descend 
annually into the valley of the Rhone 
so early as the 8th September. 



Route K. 

vST. LUC TO ST. NIKLAUS, BY THE 
Z' MEIDEN PASS, AND THE JUNG JOCH. 

This is a long but interesting day's 
walk of fully 11 hrs. exclusive of halts. 
An hour more must be allowed if taken 
from St. Niklaus, as the ascent on that 
side is much longer. A local guide is 
desirable, as both passes are so slightly 
traced that it is often impossible to be 
sure of the way. 

Ascending from St. Luc the traveller 
reaches a point from whence he may 
take a last view of the beautiful Val 
d'Anniviers, and then mounts by a 
gentleslope towards the TWwof (9,921'), 
a bold pinnacle of quartzite, on the 1. 



shoulder of which lies the Z'meiden 
Pass. In approaching the col an 
extraordinary scene of desolation is 
passed on the rt. Some huge mass of 
mountain seems to have fallen and 
covered the slopes with its ruins, and 
similar masses, not on quite so vast a 
scale, have covered the basin on the E. 
side of the pass. The botanist may 
gather Woodsia hyperborea and some 
other rare plants on the rocks near the 
summit. A wild basin strewn with 
fragments of rock is now traversed, 
and further peaks come successively 
into view until, on approaching the 
verge of the steep descent into the 
Turtman Thai, near some hovels where 
herdsmen resort during the height of 
summer, a very grand view of the head 
of the valley opens before the traveller. 
The great Glacier of Turtman is seen 
backed by the Barrhorn ( 11,919') and 
the Brvschegghorn (12,618'), and doubt- 
less offers a passage to the foot of the 
Zinal Glacier (Rte. E). If the traveller 
be bound for Turtman, he may descend 
diagonally along the W. slope of the 
valley, but otherwise he must take a 
more direct path leading in 5 hrs. from 
St. Luc to Z'meiden. sl group of 
mat/ens, adjoining which is another 
hamlet called Griiben, where a little 
inn has been lately opened which 
affords facilities for exploring this wild 
valley. Linncea borealis has been found 
in this neighbourhood. 

' The inn at Griiben is small, but 
good and clean ; the landlord is a 
good cook and a trustworthy guide.' 
— [R. S. W.] Among many excursions 
the ascent of the Schwarzhorn (9,594'), 
commanding a splendid panoramic 
view, may be recommended. Another 
excursion is that to the Turtman Gla- 
cier, the lower end of which is 2 hrs. 
from the inn. There is a remarkable 
cascade appearing to fall into a chasm 
in the ice, and a path passing at some 
height above it leads in 1 hr. from the 
foot of the glacier to the middle region, 
which is easily accessible and very free 
from crevasses. Another and more 
direct way to gain the surface, is to 



290 



PENNINE ALPS. § 20, 



MONTE ROSA DISTRICT. 



follow for about | hr. the moraine on 
the 1. hand (i.e. rt. bank?), 

In 1862 two French travellers, with 
Franz Andermatten and Francois De- 
vouassoux as guides, effected a difficult 
pass from Griiben to Randa by the 
Turtman and Bies Glaciers. 

A mule-track has lately been carried 
across the high and steep range sepa- 
rating the head of the Turtman Thai 
from St. Niklaus. It probably traverses 
the Jung Jock, till lately a little-known 
and rarely-used pass. The ascent to it 
from Griiben is by a long steep slope, 
uowhere difficult, but somewhat fa- 
tiguing. Towards the summit some 
patches of snow are traversed, and the 
actual pass is one of the notches in a 
jagged ridge which on the E. over- 
looks a wilderness of huge blocks 
mingled with snow, the resort of 
ptarmigan and chamois. By climbing 
a point to the rt. of the col a wide 
view is gained over the ranges to the 
W., extending to Mont Blanc. The 
descent is very rough, with little if 
any trace of path, until after struggling 
across a savage scene of ruin it emerges 
into a wild upland glen called Jung 
Thai, which leads to the chapel and 
chalets of Jung. Here we come upon 
one of those magnificent scenes that so 
often make the Alpine wanderer forget 
fatigue and privation. The noble forms 
of the Mischabelhorner, crowned by 
the Dom, are here seen in their, full 
beauty, and farther south is the range of 
Monte Rosa. Bearing to the rt., a long 
and steep descent into the valley, which 
lies so deep as not to be visible from 
above, takes the traveller in 6 hrs. from 
Z' meiden to St. Niklaus (§ 20, Rte. A). 
The height of the Jung Joch has been 
over-stated. It is, apparently, about 
9,000 ft. 

Another way not much more labo- 
rious, and rewarding the traveller by 
a more extensive view, is to ascend 
from Z'meiden to the Dreizehntenhorn 
(10,522'), the highest summit N. of the 
Jung Pass, and descend from thence to 
St. Niklaus. 

In going from Zinal to St. Niklaus, 



there is another pass, more direct than 
the Z'meiden Pass, called Pas de la 
Forcletta (9,89s'). The ascent com- 
mences a little S. of Ayer ( Rte. E), and 
the pass lies between the Diublons 
(11,8360 and the Roc de Budri( 10,303'), 
descending to the Chalets of Zer- 
bitzen, near the foot of the Turtman 
Glacier : and about j hr. above Z'meiden. 
Further information is desired. 

The editor has no information re- 
specting two of the minor valleys be- 
longing to this district, which pour 
their waters directly into the Rhone. 
The first is a glen lying on the N. side 
of the Bee de Bossons (Rte. G) and 
opening into the valley of the Rhone 
at Reschif, about 5 m. SW. of Sierre ; 
the other is that formed by the 
Muhlebach, which crosses the high- 
road of the Simplon about half-way 
I between Turtman and Yisp. It rises 
in a small tarn N. of the Dreizehnten- 
horn, and lying between the Schivarz- 
horn (9,594') and the Augstbordhom 
(9,785'). Both the latter summits are 
said to command fine panoramic views. 
The first is reached from the Turtman 
Thai (see above), the second from 
Staiden (§ 20, Rte. A). 



SECTION 20. 

MONTE ROSA DISTRICT. 

In describing the range of Mont 
Blanc (§ 16), it was seen that that 
mountain, with its attendant peaks, is 
naturally limited by two deep trenches 
parallel to the direction of the range, 
and by well-defined passes which mark 
an orographic separation between it 
and the adjoining mountain groups. 
No such arrangement is found in the 
great mass which is included in the 
present section. 

The central range of Monte Rosa, 
which appears to originate in the in- 
tersection of two lines of upheaval, 
throws out a number of ridges that 



7 v S -F'^qfc 



§ 20. MONTE 

radiate afar and gradually subside into 
the plain of N. Italy, covering an area 
much larger than that of most of the 
other districts described in this work. 
No convenient mode of subdividing it 
has, however, been suggested, and we 
propose to include along with the 
central mass the range of the Saas 
Grat to the N., and the minor ranges 
to the S. and E. that enclose the so- 
called Italian valleys of Monte R-osa. 
The natural limits of the district are 
therefore defined on the N. side by the 
two branches of the Visp torrent. 
Following the W. branch through the 
Nicolai Thai, crossing the Col de St. 
Theodule, descending by the Val Tour- 
nanche to Chatillon and to Ivrea, and 
passing round the base of the moun- 
tains by Arona, along the Lago Mag- 
giore, and up the valley of the Toce, 
to Vogogna, then ascending by the Val 
Anzasca to the Pass of Monte Moro, 
the circuit is completed by the descent 
through the Saas Thai to Stalden. 
Within the line so traced, exceeding 
300 m. in length, all the ranges pro- 
perly belonging to this group are in- 
cluded; but it appears convenient to add 
the Mat^erhorn and the Dent d'Herens, 
although orographically connected with 
those enclosing the Val Pellina, de- 
scribed in § 18. 

It cannot fail to strike the reader 
who examines the map of this district, 
that the direction of the ranges and 
the depressions offers a marked contrast 
to that prevailing throughout the ad- 
joining regions of the Alps. Unless in 
a small part of the Italian valleys, the 
direction here is either parallel or 
perpendicular to the meridian. Monte 
Rosa itself is best considered as 
the intersection of a great N. and S. 
ridge extending from the Balrerin 
through the Saas Grat and the highest 
peaks of the mountain itself to the 
Vincent Pyramide, and thence through 
the range that bounds the Val de LyS, 
nearly to Ivrea, with the transverse 
range lying between the Dent d'Herens 
and the Pizzo Bianco near Macugnaga. 
It is worthy of remark, that all the 

v 



ROSA DISTRICT. 291 

minor ridges on the N. side of the 
frontier are parallel to this latter range. 
It is sufficient to point out the cor- 
responding depressions occupied by the 
glaciers of Corner, Findelen, T^scb, 
Kien, Graben, &c. 

Although the peak of Mont Blanc 
overtops all those of the Monte Rosa 
range, the average height of the latter 
greatly exceeds that of its western 
rival. In the first, none of the secondary 
peaks attain to 14,000 English feet, 
while the three higher summits of Monte 
Rosa surpass 15,000 ft, and four others 
lie between 14,000 and 15,000ft. With- 
in the same limits are the four highest 
peaks of the Saas Grat, and also the 
Lyskamm, not to mention the ad- 
joining summits of the Weisshorn, the 
Matterhorn, and the Dent Blanche. 
The same inference is drawn from a 
comparison of the passes. Of the thir- 
teen highest passes hitherto effected 
in the Alps all but three cross the ridges 
of this group. 

■ It is the opinion of many of the most 
competent judges, that for grandeur, 
beauty, and variety, the valleys de- 
scending from Monte Rosa are entitled 
to preeminence over every other por- 
tion of the Alps, and perhaps, if we 
regard the union of those three elements, 
over every other mountain region in 
the world. Nature is inexhaustible in 
the combination of her attractions, and 
certainly there are many other scenes 
in the Alps which may challenge com- 
parison with whatever is most grand 
and most beautiful ; but one who would 
learn thoroughly to enjoy Nature in 
those aspects cannot do better than 
give ample time to the exploration of 
the district included in this section. 
After spending some weeks amid the 
sterner scenery of Zermatt aiid Saas, 
he will find fresh loveliness in the 
marvellous contrasts that abound in the 
valleys of the Italian side. A summer's 
tour devoted to this district, wherein 
days of exertion, spent in gaining the 
higher peaks, are made to alternate 
with days of repose, which need not 
here be" idleness 3 will certainly not 
2 



292 PENNINE ALPS. § 20. MONTE ROSA DISTRICT. 



exhaust the beauties of the country, 
and will probably leave deeper impres- 
sions than a rapid excursion extending 
over a considerable part of the Alps. 

Good accommodation is now found 
at several of the most interesting points, 
and tolerable quarters are available 
almost everywhere. 



Route A. 

VISP TO ZERMATT EXCURSIONS 

FROM ZERMATT. 

Hrs.' walking Eng. miles 
Stalden . H 5 
St. Niklaus . 2± 7 
Ran da . . 2£ 6| 
Tasch . f 2£ 
Zermatt . 1| 4± 

i ~ 
The only easy approach to the moun- 
taineering metropolis of the Rosa Dis- 
trict is from Visp or Viege, on the 
high-road of the Simplon, 28 m. above 
Sion, the present terminus of the rail- 
way, which is to be carried on to 
Brieg (see §21, Rte. A). The ascent 
being about 3,000 ft., the pedestrian 
may allow more than an hour's differ- 
ence in ascending and descending the 
valley, about 7 J hrs. sufficing to reach 
Visp, while nearly 9 hrs. are usually 
spent in the ascent. The mules take 
fully 9 hrs. either way, besides nearly 
2 hrs.' halt at St. Niklaus. A traveller 
intending to fix his head-quarters at 
Zermatt, and having more luggage 
than a porter can conveniently carry, 
is forced to hire a horse or mule, and 
will find- it a good plan to send the 
animal on an hour or two before he 
starts from Visp, as a guide is quite 
unnecessary, and he will otherwise 
arrive long before his luggage. The 
charge for horses is rather high. In- 
cluding bonnemain for the man in charge 
it is 5 fr. to Stalden, 10 fr. to St. Ni- 
klaus, 22 fr. to Zermatt. Men carrying 
a chaise -a-porteur receive 6 fr. a day ; 
ordinary porters 5 fr. a day, the return 



being at the same rate. It is desirable 
to start early from Visp, as the lower 
part of the valley is extremely hot. 

The track leaves Visp on the rt. 
bank of the river, mounting very 
gently, as Stalden is not more than 300 
ft. above the town. 

The vines, which produce fair wine, 
and the wild flowers, announce a cli- 
mate contrasting widely with the region 
of snow and ice in which both branches 
of the valley terminate. Among the 
wild plants are several scarce species : 
e. g., Astragalus exscapus, Xeranthe- 
mum inapertum, Achillea moschata, 
and A. tomentosa, &c. The mountains 
rise steeply on either hand, and the 
snovry peak of the Balferin (properly 
Balenfirn) (12.402'), standing in the 
fork of the valley, is a first example of 
that beautiful pyramidal form which 
prevails among the surrounding peaks. 
About 3^ m. from Visp the track 
crosses the valley at Neubrucke, and, 
amid scenery constantly iucreasing in 
beauty, soon reaches 

Stalden (Inn : Zum Traube, humble 
quarters, but tolerable beds and good 
wine), a poor village (2,736') close to 
the junction of the Gorner Visp, issuing 
from the Nicolaithal, with the Saaser 
Visp from the Saas Thai. The track 
here begins to mount along the 1. bank 
of the former stream. On the E. side of 
the valley may be seen several earth pil- 
lars, similar to, but less considerable than 
those of the Val d'Herens (§ 19, Rte. 
A). The steepness of the slopes of the 
valley, and their loose texture, have 
made it difficult to maintain even a 
bridle-path in soil that is constantly 
washed away during heavy rain. The 
track makes several steep ascents and 
descents, crossing the river, and return- 
ing to the 1. bank, with the Bruschegg- 
horn ( 12,618'), one of the peaks of the 
Weisshorn rising in the background. 
A manifest change in the climate and 
vegetation of the valley is perceptible 
before reaching 

St. Niklaus (Inns : Croix Blanche ; 
Soleil; both good village inns, with 
clean beds and moderate charges), the 



KOUTE A. ST. NIKLAUS. 



293 



chief village of the valley, 3,819 ft. 
above the sea. Both inns are often 
full at night, as ladies who fear a nine 
hrs.' ride to Zermatt break the jour- 
ney lj?re. An excursion is sometimes 
made in 2 hrs. irom hence to the village 
of Giachen and the Hanniy Alp above 
it, immediately overlooking the junc- 
tion of the two valleys, and command- 
ing a distant view of the Bernese Alps. 
Return in hr. A more interesting 
excursion may be made to the Hied 
Gletscher, sl considerable glacier de- 
scending from the northern of the Mis- 
chabelhorner, whose existence would 
not be suspected from the valley below 
(see Rte. P). 

St. Niklaus and the neighbouring 
hamlets suffered severely in 1855 from 
repeated shocks of earthquake, which 
were felt to a less extent in the adjoin- 
ing districts, but whose force was mainly 
expended throughout the few miles 
between this place and Visp. Forty- 
nine shocks were counted, and slighter 
disturbances were renewed throughout 
the three or four following years. 
Scarcely a house in the village escaped 
serious injury, and many were entirely 
destroyed. 

Above St. Niklaus the scenery in- 
creases in grandeur. The rocky walls on 
either side become higher and steeper,and 
the valley is contracted to a trench 2 m. 
in depth below the opposite peaks of the 
Weisshorn and the Mischabel, between 
which it passes. About 1 m, above the 
village the track crosses to the rt. bank, 
soon after passing the poor hamlet of 
Mattsand. At intervals the snowy sum- 
mits of the Breithorn and the Petit 
Mont Cervin are seen at the head of the 
valley, but the more imposing peaks 
near at hand are concealed from view, 
except near Herbriyen (4,226'), rather 
more than 1 hr. above St. Niklaus, 
where the traveller gains a glimpse of 
the Bruschegghorn. Several small tor- 
rents from the Mischabelhorner are 
crossed, which become formidable after 
a storm, and especially in the season of 
the melting of the snows. The valley 
opens out somewhat before reaching 



Handa. A small inn (H. du Dom) 
was opened here in )860. Its preten- 
sions are not great, but it is very con- 
venient for those who propose ascending 
the Dom or the Taschhorn (Excursion 
11). This poor village (4,740 ) stands 
on rising ground, apparently the re- 
mains of a landslip, opposite to the 
small Bies Glacier, lying on the steep 
E. slope of the Weisshorn, at least 
1,500 ft. above the level of the valley. 
Seeing the extreme steepness of the 
slope, and the absence of a retaining 
barrier, it is not easy to understand 
how the vast mass of ice clings to its 
bed. The apprehension thus inspired 
is not imaginary. In 1636, according 
to the perhaps exaggerated records of 
the time, the entire glacier fell into the 
valley, spreading fearful havoc before 
it. In December 1819, a considerable 
mass was detached, and though it fell 
a little on one side of the village, the 
blast of air was powerful enough to 
level most of the houses, and it is said 
that solid beams and roofs were blown 
away like straw to the distance of a 
mile from their former site. A barrier, 
formed across the river, threatened to 
renew here the disaster of the preced- 
ing year in the Yal de Bagnes (§ 18, 
Rte. D); but some brave men of the 
valley, working at the peril of their 
lives, succeeded in cutting an opening 
for the waters. Above Randa the 
valley is nearly level for 2 or 3 m. A 
short distance beyond the village is the 
torrent from the Kien Glacier, and near 
at hand the remains of a bergfall, which 
is said to have overwhelmed a village 
with all its inhabitants. Near to a 
green basin, seemingly the filled-up 
site of an ancient lake, is the village 
of Tasch, whence lie two routes to 
Saas (Rte. O). Lodging was formerly 
obtained at the cure's house, but with 
inns at Randa and at Zermatt it can 
rarely be necessary to halt here. The 
torrent from the Tasch Glacier, and 
another descending from the liothhorn, 
are often swollen on warm afternoons, 
and render the passage rather trouble- 
some. After ascending for some way 



294 



PENNINE ALPS. § 20. 



MONTE ROSA DISTRICT. 



on the rt. bank the track crosses the 
Visp ; the valley which had hitherto 
lain due S. now turns a little towards 
the W., and the traveller, advancing 
by a new pathway which saves some 
unnecessary ascent, gains his first view 
of the Matterhorn. However long he 
may remain, or however often he 
may return hither, the overpowering 
grandeur of that marvellous peak must 
continue to fascinate his eyes, while 
the problem of its origin and history 
occupies his mind, even though he be 
unversed in natural science. A short 
distance beyond the village comes into 
view, and he soon reaches 

Zermatt (Inns: H. du Monte Rosa, 
chez Seiler; H. du Mont Cervin, chez 
Clemens ; both very well kept, but the 
first is the favourite with mountaineers). 
The inn on the RifMberg, belonging to 
the Brothers Seiler. is usually crowded 
in summer, and it is supposed that a pre- 
ference is given to those who come 
from the Hotel du Monte Rosa. When 
ladies are of the party, it is prudent to 
write beforehand to either of the hotels 
to secure rooms, as both are often full. 

This little village (5,315') was for- 
merly known to few strangers, save a 
stray naturalist who found lodging in 
the house of the rustic doctor, still re- 
membered by the eaily visitors. The 
grandeur of the surrounding scenery, 
and the number of practicable excursions 
into the heart of the ice region, have 
more and more recommended this place 
to mountaineers, especially since the 
opening of a tolerably good inn on the 
RifTeiberg, 8,427 ft. above the sea, 
has reduced the ascent of several of 
the highest summits within the limits 
of a moderate day's walk. It is the 
centre from whence ardent mountain- 
climbers have successfully attacked all 
the highest summits of the Alps, with 
the exception of Mont Blanc, which 
holds its solitary and regal state at a 
distance, and the Matterhorn, that alone 
has hitherto resisted the utmost skill 
and daring of the most accomplished 
mountaineers. With many persons it 
is an additional recommendation to 



Zermatt that, being as yet accessible 
by one rough mule-track from a high 
road 25 m. distant, and in other direc- 
tions only by glacier passes, it is not a 
resort of the more indolent and helpless 
class of tourists who crowd the inns of 
Chamouni and the Bernese Oberland. 
Most of those who reach Zermatt have 
sense enough to know that objects so 
new and so vast as those that surround 
them cannot be appreciated or im- 
pressed upon the mind in a moment, 
and that if it be worth while to give 
two days to the journey to and fro, 
it is but reasonable to remain here 
several days at least, so as to enjoy the 
reward of the exertion. 

Weather is. of course, an indispen- 
sable condition, and patience is some- 
times tested by a continuance of wet 
days and heavy clouds encompassing 
*the peaks. Snow sometimes falls in 
August close to the village, but the 
moments of returning fine weather, 
and the intervals that are sometimes 
snatched from the midst of a broken 
season,, amply reward the traveller's 
perseverance. 

During the last 15 years a class of 
guides has grown up at Zermatt. The 
best men may be thoroughly relied upon, 
but the average is much below that of 
the Bernese Oberland or Chamouni. 
Apart from the experience they may 
gain with foreigners, the mountaineers 
of the Yalais are generally efficient 
upon rock, but very ignorant, and often 
nervous, on snow and ice. A tariff 
for guides has been established of late 
years. The following are the principal 
items: — 

Frs. 



Gorner, Findelen, or Zmutt Glaciers, If not 

detained more than half a day ... 3 
Gorner Grat, Rothhorn, Schwarzesee, or 

Hornli 6 

Meto-lhorn, or top of Col de St. Theodule 8 

Col de St. Theodule to Val Tournanche . 1ft 

to Chatillon . . 20 

Cima de Jazi 10 

Weissthor, or Adler Pass . . . .25 
Col d'Herens to Evolena, or Trift Joch to 

Ayer . 30 

Ascent of Monte Rosa ftO 

Tour of Monte Rosa— per day ... 7 

Other excursions — per day .... 6 

Porters— per day 5 



ROUTE A. ZEKMATT. 



295 



The daily charge for a horse or mule 
with a boy is 10 fr., the visit to the 
Riffel Inn being counted as a day's work. 
When it is possible to take horses 
across the Col de St. Theodule, the 
charge to Val Tournanche is 40 fr. 

The names of several of the best 
guides are given in the Introduction 
(Art. Guides). 

Irrespective of other attractions, the 
neighbourhood of Zermatt is full of 
interest to the geologist, the minera- 
logist, the botanist, and the entomolo- 
gist. Good specimens of minerals are 
to be had from Perrn. Ignatz Biner, 
a good guide, is well acquainted with 
most, of the flowering plants of the 
neighbourhood. Specimens may be 
procured from him, or from others in 
the village. A list of the rare plants 
would include a large portion of the 
Alpine flora, and is unnecessary, as most 
of them will be pointed out by guides, 
or are so common that the botanist 
cannot miss them. A few may be 
mentioned which appear specially in- 
teresting. Near the village are seen 
growing close together some plants of 
the warm region with high mountain 
species that have descended from the 
surrounding peaks, especially through 
the ravine of the Trift. Tnus St/pa 
pennata, Euphrasia lutea, Echino- 
spermum dejlexum, and Hieracium 
multiflorum are seen behind the village 
close to Gnaphalium Leontopodium , 
Avena distichophylla , and Artemisia 
mutellina. Of the rarest species Draba 
incana var. Thomasii, Artemisia spicata, 
and A. glacialis are found by the 
Findelen Glacier; Phyteuma humile 
and Carex hispidula, on the RifYelhorn; 
Lychnis alpina, Oxytropis Gaudini, 
and O. lapponica, Draba jladnitzensis, 
and Avena subspicata on the Riffel and 
Gorner Grat ; and Potentilla multifida, 
and P. ambigua, Campanula cenisia, 
Gentiana. tcnella, and Crepis jubata 
on the Hornli. Scirpus alpinus, Carex 
bicolor, and C. rupestris, are not un- 
common. 

Before describing the various ex- 
cursions to be made from Zermatt, a 



few words respecting the topography 
of the district will be useful. It has 
been remarked in the introduction to 
this section that the range of Monte 
Rosa may be considered as formed by 
the intersection at right angles of two 
great lines of upheaval. The centre 
of the cross is formed by a nearly level 
plateau of considerable extent, and 
rather over 14,000 ft. above the sea. 
Reckoning from hence the northern 
arm includes the Zumstein Spitze 
(15,004'), the Hochste Spitze* (15,217'), 
and the Nord End (15,132'\ These 
three adjoining pinnacles of the same 
ridge form the Monte Rosa properly so 
called, but some writers comprehend as 
minor peaks of the same mountain the 
Signal Kuppe and the five highest 
summits of the southern branch. 
Beyond the Nord End the northern 
range rapidly falls by 3,000 ft. to form 
a ridge about 3 m. in length, and 
12,000 ft. in average height. About 
mid-way the snowy summit of the 
Cima de Jazi (12,527') rises a little 
above the general level. N. of this 
again extends the ranae bearing the 
collective name of Saas Grat. It 
extends for about 10 m. from the 
Strahlhorn (13,750'), through the 
Rympfischhorn (13,790'), Ailaleinhorn 
(13,235'), Alphubel (13,803'), to the 
four peaks of the Mischabelhorner, all 
rising between 14,000 and 15.000 ft, 
and terminating in the Uhichshorn 
(12,891') and the Balferin (12,402'). 

On the S. side of the central plateau 
are five summits arranged in de- 
scending order— Parrot Spitze (14,577'), 
Ludwifihohe (14,187'), Schwarzhorn 
(14,092'), Balmenhorn (13,927'), and 
Vincent Pyramide (13,859'). S. of the 
latter this range sinks into the com- 
paratively inconsiderable ridge forming 
the E. boundary of the Val de Lys- 

The eastern arm of the cross is formed 



* Called on the Swiss Federal Map, Dufour 
Spitze. With the highest estimate of the ser- 
vice< of General Duf.mr as Director of the ad- 
mirable Swiss survey, the writer does not be- 
lieve that the name of any individual can remain 
permanently attached to the highest peak of the 
second mountain in Europe. 



296 



PENNINE ALPS. § 20. MONTE ROSA DISTRICT. 



by the Signal Kuppe (14,964), the 
Cima del Pizzo, and Cima delle Loccie, 
and may perhaps be considered to 
include the Pizza Bianco. 

More important than this is the 
western arm, including the Lyskamm 
(14,8890, th e double summits of the 
Zwillivge (13,879 / and 13.432'), Breit- 
horn (13,685'), and Petit Mont Cervin 
(12,749'), and connected with the 
Matterhorn and the Dent d'Herens 
by the flattened ridge, about 11,000 ft. 
in height, that supports the Theodule 
and Furgge Glaciers. 

Several secondary ridges parallel to 
this W. range are connected with the 
Cima de Jazi and the chief summits 
of the Saas Grat, dividing the glaciers 
that descend towards the Nicolaithal. 
The barrier above spoken of connecting 
the Nord End and the Strahlhorn presents 
a wall of formidable precipices towards 
the E., but falls away in a gentle slope 
to the W. For a breadth of nearly 
3 m. the upper snow-fields lie almost 
unbroken upon this slope, but as they 
begin to descend towards the main 
valley they are divided into two ice- 
streams by a ridge which gradually 
emerges from the neve, and finally pre- 
sents a rather bold front to the glaciers 
on either side. The highest points of this 
ridge, appearing insignificant by contrast 
with the grand objects around, are the 
Stockhorn (11,595'), the Hochthaligrat 
(10,791'), the Gorner Grat (10,290'), 
and the JRiffelhorn. The western slope, 
immediately overlooking Zermatt, is 
called the Eiffel, or Riifeiberg, and that 
name is sometimes given collectively to 
the entire of the ridge. On its S. side 
is the Gorner Glacier, formed by the 
confluence of all the minor glaciers 
descending from the N. and W. sides of 
the Monte Rosa range, while on the N. 
side the Findelen Glacier descends near 
to the village ot Zermatt. The position 
of the Riffel, surrounded by a complete 
circuit of peaks of the first order, is 
unique in the Alps. It forms the 
starting-point for many of the most in- 
teresting excursions to be made from 
Zermatt. 



1. Biff el and Gorner Grat. Seen from 
Zermatt, the hotel on the Riffel appears 
to stand on the topmost crest of the 
mountain, because the gentler slopes 
behind, leading to the Gorner Grat, are 
i concealed from view. It is easily reached 
I by a frequented bridle-track in 2\ hrs., 
i but the views, looking backward, are so 
! grand that few accomplish the distance 
| within that time. On the S. side of the 
j village is a bridge over the main stream, 
j just below the junction of the Findelen- 
bach. Crossing to the rt. bank, the 
i path ascends amid meadows to the 
| chapel of Winkelmatten (5,499'), then 
! traverses the latter stream, and mounts 
| more steeply ; before long entering a 
wood of larch and Arolla pine. Where 
the path forks, keep to the 1.. following 
the horse- tracks in doubtful places. At 
j Schweggmatt, near some small huts, are 
some transported blocks left by the 
i ancient glacier, 700 ft. above the present 
level of the Visp. About half-way are 
the chalets called Augstkumme, com- 
manding a noble view of the peaks be- 
tween the Matterhorn and the Weiss- 
horn. The side of the mountain is now 
| bare and stony, and the way cannot 
| easily be missed ; yet the stranger will 
do better to keep to the track which 
winds up the slope, and when this be- 
| conies more gentle, reaches the Riffel 
Hotel, one of the highest in Europe, 
8,427 ft. above the sea. The accom- 
modation is as good as can fairly be ex- 
pected, considering that during fine 
weather the house is constantly crowded, 
and that travellers arriving late, or 
starting before daylight for an ascent, 
are not as considerate as they should 
be for the rest of their fellow-lodgers. 

The main object of ordinary tourists 
is to reach the summit of the Gorner 
Grat (10,290'). It is easy of access in 
It 1 , nr. from the inn; but those not used 
to such rough ground should either take 
j a guide or follow the track of some other 
j visitors. After ascending some way, 
and approaching a little shallow tarn, 
the traveller finds himself shut out 
from the view to the rt. by a very steep 
pinnacle of serpentine rock, calied the 



ROUTE A. RIFFEL 



AND GORNER GRAT. 



297 



Iiiffelhorn (9,61 6 ; ). Rising almost ver- 
tically from the Gorner Glacier, it 
commands the finest of all the views of 
that immense ice-stream ; but the pano- 
rama is less complete than that from the 
Gorner Grat. It is accessible from the 
E. side, but should be attempted only by 
a practised climber. 

Mounting towards the 1., amidst huge 
slabs of gneiss, the Gorner Grat is 
reached without difficulty, and some 
persons take horses to the top. As 
already said, the panorama presents an 
unequalled circle of Alpine peaks ; but 
in one respect it falls short of the view 
from the Aeggischhorn, with which it is 
sometimes compared. The eye does 
not here plunge down so directly upon 
the surface of a great glacier. The 
upper basin of the Gorner Glacier is, 
indeed, a noble object ; but its middle 
and lower course are, in great part, con- 
cealed by the RifFelhorn, and other 
intervening masses ; and of the Finde- 
len Glacier but a small part is within 
sight. The first impression of the 
Monte Rosa scarcely corresponds with 
its great height. As seen from here, 
none of the summits of the range seem 
to claim preeminence over the rest ; 
and it was long before their relative 
claims were settled. The earlier visitors 
to Zermatt were directed to the Breithorn 
as the highest part of the range. Long 
afterwards, the Lyskamm was supposed 
to be the true summit ; and it is so 
figured in the plates to the 1 Etudes sur 
les Glaciers,' by M. Agassiz. No de- 
scription can, however, prepare the 
traveller for the effect of the opposite 
portion of the panorama as he turns his 
eyes round the semicircle from the 
Matterhorn to the Scrahlhorn. The 
only way to do justice to this scene is 
to return hither frequently during the 
spare moments of a traveller's stay at 
the Riffel. 

In fine weather a native speculator is 
constantly to be found with a basket of 
food and wine, to tempt the appetite, 
whetted by the keen, clear air of these 
Alpine heights. In returning from the 
Gorner Grat, visitors often take the 



opportunity to make nearer acquaint- 
ance with the Gorner Glacier. E. of the 
Riff'elhorn, and running along the S. 
base of the Gorner Grat, is a stony slope, 
covered with rare Alpine plants, and 
traversed by a faintly-marked track. 
This is called the Rothekumm. The 
track lies at first many hundred feet 
above the glacier, but gradually ap- 
proaches nearer to the ice. The descent 
is everywhere steep, and rather awkward 
for ladies, but the glacier is free from 
difficulty. The traveller will not fail to 
notice a series of circular pits of con- 
siderable size, that recur at about equal 
intervals on the N. side of the glacier. 

In descending from the Gorner Grat 
tourists often take a course leading 
NW. to a point called Guggli, over- 
looking the Findelen Glacier, and there 
find a path down to Zermatt, along the 
1. bank of the ravine, through which 
the Findelen torrent falls to join the 
Visp. By following a course higher 
up, over much rough ground, the 
traveller may cross the Findelen Glacier 
to the Fliih Alp on its N. bank, and 
descend thence to Zermatt. 

From the Gorner Grat it is tolerably 
easy to reach the second summit of the 
Ritfelberg, called Hochthaligrat. The 
view is nearly the same ; for though 
this overlooks the Gorner Grat, it is in 
its turn overtopped by the Stockhorn, 
and that again by the Cima de Jazi. 

2. The Cima de Jazi. As already 
mentioned, this is the highest summit 
of the ridge connecting the Monte 
Rosa with the Saas Grat. Although 
12,52 7 ft in height, it is reached with ease 
in 4 or 5 hrs. from the Riffel Hotel, 
excepting after fresh snow, when the 
excursion becomes very fatiguing, and 
not to be recommended to ladies. No 
other summit of the Alps, nearly equal 
in height, is so completely within the 
reach of moderate walkers, and so free 
from difficulty or danger, provided 
reasonable caution be used. The way 
from the Riffel Hotel lies through the 
hollow between the Riffeihorn and the 
Gorner Grat, and then along the Rothe- 
kumm, keeping to the rocky slope till 



298 



PENNINE ALPS. § 20. MONTE ROSA DISTRICT, 



the gradual rise of the glacier brings it I 
to the level of the track. After ascend- I 
ing gently for some distance over the 1 
ice this becomes crevassed, and it is 1 
usual to return to the rocks near the 
base of the Stockholm, returning soon 
after to the neve which extends 
thence to the summit. Although the 
crevasses are few and far between, the 
rope should be used, and blue spectacles 
or a gauze veil, or both combined, should 
not be omitied. By starting very early 
there is good chance of finding the 
snow of the upper glacier firm enough 
to bear the travellers weight, and in 
that case the labour of the ascent is 
reduced to a mere trifle. It is usual to 
bear to the I., so as to reach the summit 
from the > T W., where it is least steep. 
It is now apparent that the ridge laid 
down in Schlagintweit's map, and copied 
in roanv others, supposed to connect the 
Stockh orn with the Cima de Jazi, is so 
completely concealed by the neve — if, 
indeed, it really exists — that it is not 
everywhere easy to distinguish the neve 
of the Gorner Glacier from that which 
feeds the Findelen Glacier. On ap- 
proaching the summit it is seen that 
while the side facing Zermatt has the 
form of a flattened cone, the Cima 
itself, and the entire ridge connecting 
it with Monte Rosa, as well as the E. 
side of the great mountain itself, form a 
continuous range of precipices, which 
for height, breadth, and steepness are 
unequalled in the Alps, and, perhaps, 
elsewhere in the world. Travellers are 
strongly cautioned against approaching 
too close to the verge, as the cap ot 
frozen snow that covers the summit 
usually forms a cornice projecting 
several feet from the rock, and liable, 
every now and then, to break away and 
fall some thousands of feet down towards 
the Macugnaga Glacier. The view 
includes a great part of the circuit of 
peaks forming the panorama of the 
Gorner Grat, seen from a point in the 
circumference instead of from the 
centre. In the opposite direction it 
ranges for an enormous distance over the 
valley of the Po and the Alpine ranges 



that enclose the lakes and valleys of 
Lombardy. The snowy chain which 
stretches farthest to the S. is often 
pointed out as the Ortler Spitze by per- 
sons who fancy that they recognise the 
form of that peak. It is, in fact, the 
range of the Adamello (§ 44), between 
the Val Camonicaand the Italian Tyrol. 

The ascent of the Cima de Jazi may 
be easily combined with the passage of 
the Weiss Thor (Rte. F). It is also 
easy to descend to Zermatt by the 
Findelen Glacier, ultimately quitting 
the ice on the rt. bank, where a path 
i over the Fliih Alp leads to Zermatt. 
; The snow fields lying between the 
' summit and Zermatt may be cited in 
! support of the cautions addressed to 
travellers in the Introduction. Few 
i glaciers are more free from real or 
I apparent danger, for the crevasses are 
not numerous and the snow covering 
I generally secure. It was on the upper 
j Findelen Glacier that a Russian tra- 
veller was lost a few years ago, having 
i been attached to his guides by a rotten 
rope (worse than none at all), which 
j snapped as he slipped through a cre- 
| vasse. In the following season one of 
the best Chamouni guides was very 
j nearly lost in descending from the 
; Cima to the Riffei. It is true that the 
' accident of a snow-bridge giving way 
may not happen here once in a hundred 
times : but the insurance against the 
risk costs so little trouble that it is in- 
excusable to neglect it. 

3. The Ascent of Monte Rosa. This is 
an expedition involving much less 
labour than the ascent of Mont Blanc ; 
but it is more difficult, and should be 
: attempted only by men thoroughly used 
j to the upper regions of the Alps. The 
i highest summit of Monte Rosa, formerly 
| known at Zermatt as the Gornerhorn, 
but now generally distinguished as 
Hochste Spitze, is a sharp, jagged edge 
I of mica schist connected by an arete 
I with the Nord end, but cut off from the 
! Zumstein Spitze to the S. by nearly ver- 
tical rocks about 400 ft. in height/ The 
I snows falling on the slope between it and 
! the Nord End form the small Gornerhorn 



ROUTE A. ASCENT OF MONTE EOSA. 



299 



Gletscher, which joins the main Gorner 
Glacier between two masses of rock 
that rise on the 1. bank. The lower of 
these is called Auf der Platte; the other, 
lying farther E., bears the name Ob 
dem See, from a small glacier lake 
which is sometimes found between the 
rocks and the edge of the glacier, but is 
often drained through some sub-glacia] 
channel. The earlier attempts to reach 
the summit were made by the E. side 
of the Gornerhorn Glacier immediately 
under the rocks of the Nord End. It is 
sometimes rather troublesome to force 
a way through the seracs ; but there 
are no very serious difficulties, and all 
those who have attempted to do so 
have reached the saddle which forms 
the lowest point in the ridge between 
the Hochste Spitze and the Nord End. 
To the rt. is the sharp and formidably- 
steep crest leading to the summit. The 
first explorers were deterred by the dan- 
gerous appearance of this crest, which 
is only about 400 ft. above the lowest 
point of the ridge. It was climbed in 
1848 by Johann Mad utz, of Matt, Can- 
ton Glarus,and MatthauszumTaugwald, 
of Zermatt, and again in 1851 by MM. 
Adolph and Hermann Schiagintweit, 
with three Zermatt guides ; but it was 
found that the highest peak consists of 
a double tooth of rock, of which the 
western, higher by 24 ft., is quite inac- 
cessible from this side. 

This highest pinnacle, or Allerhochste 
Spitze, was reached for the first time in 
1855, by Messrs. G. & C. Smyth, Hud- 
son, Birkbeck, and Stevenson, accom- 
panied by Ulrich Lauener, of Lauter- 
brunnen, and three Zermatt guides. 
The route taken by them, which has 
been followed in the numerous subsequent 
ascents, starts from the rocks of Auf der 
Piatte, mounting to SE. by snow-slopes, 
at first gentle, but ultimately very steep 
as they abut against a sharp, saw-edged 
crest of ro?k that extends about due W. 
from the Hochste Spitze. The passage 
along this crest constitutes the difficulty 
of the ascent. On the S. side it over- 
hangs the upper plateau of the Monte 
Rosa Glacier in a nearly vertical wall 



of rock, on the other side an ice-slope 
of perilous steepness falls away towards 
the Gornerhorn Glacier. The steadi- 
ness and endurance, both of guides and 
travellers, is tested in the passage of this 
long crest, especially if, as often hap- 
pens, a violent wind should be en- 
countered, and the rocks be found coated 
with a varnish of ice. Veils and spec- 
tacles are here discarded, as the utmost 
caution is required ; and, owing to the 
roughness of the way, and the unequal 
pace of men who are alternately climb- 
ing up or down the teeth of the crest, 
the rope is laid aside. It is, however, 
usually called into play at the last, 
where a mere knife-edge of frozen snow 
abuts against a slippery face of rock, 
that leads immediately to the highest 
peak. In returning along the crest no 
less care is requisite than in the ascent, 
but when the upper steep snow-slope is 
passed the difficulties of the expedi- 
tion are over. From 11 to 14 hrs. are 
usually occupied in going and returning 
from the Riffel Hotel. The most dis- 
tinctive feature in the view, apart from 
the vastness of the panorama which it 
shares with Mont Blanc and several 
other high peaks, is the extraordinary 
depth to which the eye plunges directly 
from the summit, especially towards the 
Val Anzasca and the basin of the Ma- 
cugnaga Glacier, lying nearly 10,000 ft. 
below. 

Owing to the frequent prevalence of a 
high wind from the E. or NE., and the 
slow pace at which it is possible to move 
when near the top, precautions against 
cold are more requisite on Monte 
Rosa than on Mont Blanc. The hands, 
if not well protected, are soon numbed 
by the necessity for clinging to the 
frozen rocks. 

4. Secondary Peaks of Monte Rosa, 
None of these is likely to attract much 
of the attention of mountaineers, and a 
brief notice will suffice. 

The Nord End was reached for the 
first time on the 26th August, 1861, 
by Sir T, F. and Mr. E. Buxton, and 
Mr. J. J. Cowell. with Michel Payot, 
of Chamouni. The arete connecting it 



300 



PENNINE ALPS. § 20. 



MONTE EOSA DISTRICT. 



with the Hochste Spitze is said to be ; 
even more difficult than the ascent to 
the western summit of the latter. It is 
less uneven, and in great part formed 
of hard ice, requiring to he cut with the 
axe. As the summit is 85 ft. lower 
than its neighbour, and the view, there- 
fore, more limited, it is not likely to 
attract many visitors. 

The Zumstein Spitze and Signal 
Kuppe are both accessible without 
serious difficulty from the Grand Pla- 
teau of Monte Rosa. The first named 
peak was first attained from the S side 
after three previous unsuccessful at- 
tempts by the late Herr Zumstein in 
1820. The summit was reached from 
the Riffel, in 1860, by the Rev. L. 
Stephen and Mr. R. Liveing. The 
Signal Kuppe was first reached in 1843 
by M. Gnifetti, cure of Alagna, and for 
the first time from the N. side, in 1861, 
by Messrs. Tuekett, C.H. and W.J. Fox. 
The Parrot Spitze, which is nearly 
400 ft. lower than the Signal Kuppe, 
is doubtless accessible from the Grand 
Plateau, though it has not yet been 
ascended. An active mountaineer may 
combine a visit to any one of these 
peaks with the passage of the Lvs 
Joch (Rte. D). 

The Ludivigshohe was ascended by M. 
von Welden, but apparently not by any 
recent traveller. No account of an as- 
cent of the Schwarzhorn or the Balm en- 
horn has reached the editor. The Vin- 
cent Pyramide ^as the first conquered of 
the nine summits of Monte Rosa, hav- 
ing been reached in 1819 by Nicholas 
Vincent, whose name it bears. Al- 
though the lowest of the peaks, this is 
in one respect the best situated for a 
view, being that most detached from 
the main range. 

5. The Lyskamm. The greatest of 
the tributary glaciers flowing from the 
range of Monte Rosa to the Gorner 
Glacier is that which arises in the cen- 
tral plateau, and falls to the NW. be- 
tween the Hochste Spitze and the Lys- 
kamm ; it is called, par excellence, the 
Monte Rosa Gletscher. This offers the 
only way yet found to the top of the 



Lyskamm. A spirited account of the 
first ascent is given bv the Rev. F. W. 
Hardy in the second series of 4 Peaks, 
Passes, and Glaciers.' An earlier at- 
tempt, by Mr. Tuekett, to reach the 
same summit from the Zwillinge Joch 
(Rte. D) was defeated by weather, 
and by the difficulty of the way. 
The best way seems to be to mount 
from 4 Auf der Platte,' crossing to 
the W. side of the Monte Rosa 
Glacier, under the steep rocks of the 
Lyskamm, nearly to the level of the 
plateau, then to climb the very steep 
snow-siopes on the rt. leading up to the 
ridge, returning along this towards 
NNW. till the highest point is gained. 
Owing to the long circuit, and the 
great number of steps that must be cut 
in the ice, this requires considerably 
more time than the ascent of Monte 
Rosa, or fully 18 hrs. 

6. The Bothhorn. This excursion 
may be made either from Zermatt or 
from the Riffel. There are two summits. 
The Ober Bothhorn (1 1,214') connected 
with the Rynipfischwang, and the 
Unter Bothhorn (10,19 1'), somewhat 
more detached from the range of the 
Saas Grat, and on that account com- 
manding the finer view. From Zermatt 
the ascent lies by the rt. bank of the 
Findelen Bach to the small hamlet of 
Findelen (6,80s 7 )- On the slope ex- 
posed to the sun, rye and barley are 
grown at a higher level than has 
been observed anywhere else in the 
Alps. A practised mountaineer may 
find his way alone to the summit of 
the Unter Rothhorn — about 4 hrs. from 
Zermatt. The view is somewhat similar 
to that from the Gorner Grat. The 
summit is farther from the Matterhorn 
and Monte Rosa, but considerably 
nearer to the peaks of the Saas Grat. 
In making this excursion from the 
Riffel it is better to cross the Findelen 
Glacier to the Fliih Alp (8,464'), 
and then reach the summit. The 
ancient moraines which border the 
glacier and the appearance of the valley 
below its lower end show that the 
j Findelen Glacier has retired during 



ROUTE A. THE SCHWARZ SEE AND HORNLI. 



301 



the same period in which the Gorner 
Glacier is known to have advanced 
considerably. 

The two summits here spoken of are 
not to be confounded with the much 
higher peak of the Rothhorn, or Mo- 
rning, NW. of Zermatt. 

We now notice excursions that are 
more conveniently made from the 
village of Zermatt than from the Riffel. 

7. The Gorner Glacier. A visit to the 
lower end of this glacier is within range 
of an afternoon's stroll from the Tillage. 

After flowing due W 7 . for about 6 m. 
the Gorner Glacier sweeps round the 
base of the Riffelhorn, and descends 
nearly due N. into the head of the 
Nicolaithal. The easiest way lies by 
the W. bank of the stream for rather 
more then a mile . then, after crossing 
the torrent from the Zmutt Glacier, a 
very picturesque path leads to the 
ravine through which the Gorner Visp 
descends from its parent glacier. A 
wooden bridge leads across the stream 
and gives easy access to the actual base 
of the glacier, which has been advancing 
for a long time past, having shoved 
before it a bridge and several chalets 
during the last 10 or 12 years, at the 
same time ploughing up the pasture 
land at the side of the stream. 

Unpractised visitors should be cau- 
tioned against approaching close to the 
ice, as blocks of stone lightly poised 
hang on the terminal slope, and from 
time to time slide with great force down 
the declivity. The lower slope of the 
Riffelhorn is steep, but it is pos- 
sible to mount some way and to ob- 
serve the process by which the glacier 
smoothes and polishes the surfaces of 
rock over which it moves. The ap- 
pearances may be compared with 
those seen on the upper ridge of the 
same mountain in the hollow between 
the Riffelhorn and the Gorner Grat, 
where an arm of the glacier passed 
when the ice rose many hundred feet 
higher than its present level. The 
pinnacles of ice formed in the steep 
part of the descent of the glacier cannot 
fail to excite admiration. They are 



quite equal to those seen near Cha- 
mouni. 

8. The Schwarz See and Hornli. 
This is deservedly one of the ex- 
cursions most often made by strangers. 
It is possible to ride as far as" the 
lake. 

From the very base of the E. face of 
the Matterhorn a nearly level ridge 
or promontory of rock extends a little 
N. of E., terminating abruptly in a 
bold point conspicuous from Zermatt, 
called the Hornli (9,4 92')- In the angle 
between this and the higher ridge con- 
necting the Matterhorn with the Breit- 
horn is formed the Furgge Glacier. 
Below the Hornli the ridge separating 
the torrent of this iatter'glacier from 
that of Zmutt spreads out, and in one 
of its undulations forms the basin of a 
small lake or tarn, called Schwarz See, 
with a solitary chapel beside it, 8,393 ft. 
above the sea. In the ascent is one of the 
finest views of the Gorner Glacier, here 
seen while undergoing the process of ra- 
pid flexure, at the same time that it falls 
rapidly round the base of the Riffelhorn, 
with its surface torn by various systems 
of crevasses which finally intersect 
each other, forming a wild confusion of 
tottering pinnacles of ice. The view 
from the Schwarz See well rewards the 
ascent, but those who do not object to 
a short and sharp climb should ascend 
the Hornli. Nowhere perhaps does the 
Matterhorn appear more overpower- 
ingly grand than from this point. Other 
peaks, such as some of the Chamouni 
aiguilles, may appear as bold in out- 
line, but they want the air of solidity 
peculiar to this unmatched peak. With 
an audacity that seems to defy the 
universe, it rears its front 5,000 ft. 
above the snow-fields at its base, as 
though its massive framework could 
support the shock of a world in ruins. 
Its stability is but apparent. Those 
who have all but succeeded in climb- 
ing this hitherto unconquered peak, 
and have passed successive nights on 
the ledges of its SW. shoulder, have 
witnessed the continued progress of 
destruction that, stone by stone, is un- 



302 



PENNINE ALPS. § 20. MONTE ROSA DISTRICT. 



building the marvellous structure ; 
though it is riot yet possible to calculate 
how many millions of ages would be 
required to bring it down to the level 
of the lower ridges that surround its 
base. 

There is no difficulty in following 
the ridge from the Hornli to the actual 
base of the great mountain. In de- 
scending, it is usual to bear to the 1., so 
as to include with the excursion a 
visit to the lower end of the Zrautt 
Glacier. In returning that way, a re- 
markable chasm, cut through the rock 
by the Zmutt torrent, well deserves 
attention. It is crossed by a bridge 
over which a path leads to the hamlet 
of Zmutt (6,385'), the largest of those 
above Zermatt. (See § 19, Rte. D.) 

9. The Mettelhom. The Mettelhorn 
(11,188') is the highest point of a pro- 
montory extending eastward from the 
Rothhorn, or Morning, and immediately 
overlooking the village of Zermatt. It 
commands one of the finest — some think 
the very finest — view in this neighbour- 
hood, distinguished from the others of 
the same class by its near neighbour- 
hood to the noble peak of the Weiss- 
horn, and by including a considerable 
portion of the Bernese Alps, in the 
opening between that peak and the 
Mischabelhorner. The ascent is a 
stiff climb of from 4 to 5 hrs., exclu- 
sive of halts, but is within the reach of 
an average mountaineer. To reach 
the summit is rather too severe an ex- 
ertion for ladies ; but the view from a 
point overlooking the Schallenberg 
Glacier, about 1 hr. below the top, is 
nearly equally fine, and avoids the 
most troublesome part of the ascent. 

The most direct way commences 
from the village of Zermatt, opposite 
the door of the Hotel du Mont Cervin, 
up the face of a rocky slope. This 
is extremely steep for lh hr. It is 
usual to take an easier course by a 
track which mounts at first obliquely 
to the N., and then bears to the 1. until 
a view of the Trift Glacier is opened, 
when the ascent continues direct to the 
summit. Tne last part, for about 1 hr., | 



is very steep, in part over a snow-slope, 
and in part over debris often mixed 
with loose snow. This is the best point 
for a view of the Schallenberg Glacier, 
which fills a considerable hollow be- 
tween the Weisshorn and the Morning. 
This latter fine peak (13,855') is one of 
the few near Zermatt which has not 
been attacked by the members of the 
Alpine Club. The summit appears 
very steep. 

10. The Weisshorn. This is, per- 
haps, the most beautifully sharp and 
symmetrical of the pyramidal peaks of 
the Alps, and the ascent may be counted 
amongst the most difficult and laborious 
that have been yet achieved. It is 
formed by the intersection of a main 
N. & S. ridge, with a ridge, or arete, 
that descends on the E. side towards 
Randa. The NE. and SE. faces of the 
pyramid, as well as the upper parts 
of the three ridges leading to the 
top, are mainly formed of hard 
frozen snow. On the W. side the py- 
ramid is broken away, and displays 
those vast precipices that present so 
errand an aspect from the heights above 
Zinal. At first sight, it is not easy to 
guess which of the three aretes may be 
least difficult ; but as two attempts by 
the northern one, though made by first- 
rate mountaineers, have both failed, it 
may be assumed that that route is im- 
practicable. The S. arete has been 
condemned by very competent judges, 
and the only two successful attempts 
have been made by the E. arete, ap- 
proached from the Schallenberg Glacier, 
one branch of which lies in the angle 
between this and the S. ridge. It re- 
mains to be tried whether the approach 
may not more advantageously be made 
from the Bies Glacier, lying in the 
NE. angle of the mountain. The 
honour of achieving the first ascent fell 
to that eminent mountaineer, Professor 
Tyndall, whose genial little volume, 
'Mountaineering in 1861,' contains a 
narrative of the expedition. 

Accompanied by J. J. Bennen, of Laax, 
and Ulrich Wenger, of Grindelwald, 
Mr. Tyndall bivouacked at over 9,000 ft. 



ROUTE A. ASCENT OF THE DOM. 



303 



above the sea, and reached the highest 
peak on the following day in 10 hrs. of 
severe exertion. The return was found 
to he not much less difficult than the 
ascent ; and they regained Randa at 
11 p.m., after about 20 hrs. of almost 
constant hard work. The second, and 
only other ascent, was accomplished in 
1862 by the Rev. L. Stephen. Starting 
-with Melchior Anderegg and Franz 
Biener, of Zermatt, from a chalet be- 
low the Schallenberg Alp, nearly 2 hrs. 
lower than Mr. Tyndall's bivouac, that 
indefatigable walker gained the highest 
point in 9^ hrs., and returned to Randa 
in 7f hrs. more, reaching Zermatt the 
same night. 

The lower two-thirds of the E. arete 
are formed of successive teeth of rock 
which start out of steep snow-slopes, 
seamed by couloirs of ice. It has 
hitherto been found best to keep to the 
base of these projecting rocks, passing 
one after the other along their S. face, 
and Mr. Tyndall appears to have lost 
some time by attempting to make his 
way along the snow-slopes below them, 
■where the ice-couloirs were found ex- 
tremely troublesome, and the attempt 
was abandoned. The snow-arete lead- 
ing from the upper rocks to the topmost 
pinnacle appears to be perilously sharp, 
and during some portion of the way 
the snow slope on the 1. ends abruptly 
at the edge of precipices, of which Mr. 
Stephen says, 4 I have never seen more 
fearful cliffs.' The summit has been 
found to be a solid angle of frozen 
snow, ending literally in a point, with 
the sides corresponding to the three 
faces of the mountain. The height of 
the Weisshorn has been determined 
trigonometricaliy to be 14,804 ft., and 
therefore a little below that of its rival 
next noticed. 

11. The Dom. Next to Monte Rosa, 
the Saas Grat is, of all the ranges in 
the Alps, that which maintains the 
highest continuous elevation, and pre- 
sents the greatest number of lofty sum- 
mits. The highest part of this range is 
formed by four peaks, arranged nearly ; 
in line, and about equidistant, called the I 



Mischabelhorner. Reckoning from S. to 
N., these are as follows : — 

Feet 

Taschhorn .... 14.758 
Dom or Grnbenhorn . . 14,935 
Mischabel No. 3. (nameless) . 14.108 
Gasenriedhorn . . . 14,219 

The differences of height are not so 
great but that one or other appears to 
be the highest, according to the point 
from which they are viewed. The true 
summit, called Grabenhorn in the Ni- 
colaithal, is a beautiful and very sharp 
snow-pyramid, broken away irregu- 
larly on the E. side towards Saas, 
whence it appears as a double-pointed 
peak, through some effect of perspec- 
tive bringing a lower point nearly into 
a line with the top. The two N. peaks 
are sometimes distinguished as the 
Nadelgrat, and the northern of the two 
— the Gasenriedhorn — which is not 
seen from Saas, nor from Fee, but from 
a point near the little chapel between 
these places (Rte. N), passed at Saas 
for the Dom, or highest summit of the 
ridge. This was apparently the point 
reached by Mr. Chapman, ascending 
from Saas, in 1856, but neither on that 
occasion, nor in the course of various 
attempts made by the well-known 
mountaineer, M. Imseng, cure of Saas, 
has the Dom been reached from that 
side. 

The first successful ascent was made 
by the Rev. J. Llewellyn Davies, with 
Johann zum Taugwald and J. Kronig, 
of Zermatt, and a young man of Randa, 
who volunteered to accompany them. 
(See 'Peaks, Passes, and Glaciers/ first 
series. ) Starting from Randa, and 
mounting about due E. to the highest 
pastures, the ascent is a continuous 
climb— steep, but nowhere very diffi- 
cult. The only side by which the 
summit is accessible is by the NW. 
angle, between the ridge connecting it 
with the Nadelgrat and a western spur 
that descends between Randa and 
Tasch. From the snows accumulating 
in this angle, two glaciers descend to- 
wards the Visp— the Graben Glacier, 
! whose torrent flows past the village of 



304 



PENNINE ALPS. § 20. MONTE ROSA DISTRICT. 



Randa, and the Hohberg Glacier, at 
first descending NW. and then bending 
to W. parallel to the Graben Glacier, 
and separated by a ridge which, on 
some maps, is wrongly laid down as if 
it were continued to the head of 
both glaciers and connected with the 
Nadelgrat. After ascending more 
than 4 hrs. from Randa, Mr. Davies 
found himself on the N. bank of the 
Graben Glacier, which he then traversed 
diagonally, without encountering many 
crevasses, towards some rocks which 
form the base of the proper peak of the 
Dom. The climb from thence to the 
top is long and steep, in part over rocks, 
and partly by snow-slopes. Towards 
the top it i^ necessary to follow the W. 
arete, which on the S. side falls away 
in a sheer precipice towards Zermatt. 
The summit was reached in less than 
9 hrs., including a halt for breakfast. 
Mr. Leslie Stephen, who made the 
second ascent, with Mr. Liveing and 
two guides, Melchior Anderegg and 
Johann zum Taugwald, allows 8 hrs. for 
the ascent. The view is considered 
by Mr. Stephen i the very finest in the 
Alps, including, besides nearly every 
Swiss mountain, the Lago Maggiore, 
the Lake of Geneva (as I believe), and 
the glorious precipices above the Fee 
Glacier.' 

The vertical height of the Dom 
above Randa is just 10,000 ft,, and 
the distance in a straight line little 
over 4 m. This is, therefore, the 
longest and steepest continuous ascent 
yet made in the Alps. Thorough train- 
ing is requisite for the mountaineer 
who would undertake it; but it does not 
appear to involve any unusual diffi- 
culties. The descent may be accom- 
plished in little more than 4 hrs. 

It is to be noted that the map in the 
first series of ' Peaks, Passes, and Gla- 
ciers ' tends to mislead those who rely 
on its accuracy. Nearly the whole 
ascent is made by the rocks on the 1. 
hand, or N. side of the Graben Glacier, 
and it is only at the base of the final peak 
that this is crossed towards the SE. 

12. The Taschhorn. The first ascent i 



of this twin-brother of the Dom was 
made on July 31, 1862, by the Rev. J. 
LI. Davies and the Rev. J. W. Hay- 
ward, with Johann and Stephan zum 
Taugwald as guides. Starting at 2 a.m., 
they mounted through the forest to the 
Kien Glacier, and then took a nearly 
direct course to the top. The upper 
slope, which was ascended by zigzags, 
is extremely steep, and it was a matter 
of great difficulty to pass from the snow 
to the rim of rocks that crown the 
peak. The view scarcely differs from 
that gained from the Dom, but this is 
more difficult of access. The summit 
was gained at 1.50 p.m., and the return 
to Randa was not effected till 10.15 p.m. 

13. The Bympfischhorn. This fine 
peak, 13,790 ft in height, lies between 
the Allalein and Adler passes described 
in Rte. O. It is not, however, accessi- 
ble from either of them, and must be 
made the object of a. distinct expedition 
from Zermatt or the Riffel. Though 
higher by 40 ft. than the Strahlhorn 
(Rte. O), it seems that the latter has 
the advantage of a position more 
immediately overlooking the adjoining 
valleys of Piedmont. It is certain that 
they both command panoramic views 
of the grandest character. 

The editor has received a brief 
notice of the first ascent from the Rev. 
L. Stephen, whose name so frequently 
recurs among the explorers of this dis- 
trict. The ascent, which is described 
as comparatively easy, was made by the 
Ttympfischwarig, a steep and lofty ridge 
extending westward from the peak, and 
separating the Tasch and Findelen 
Glaciers. Passing along the ridge, 
which commands noble views, the tra- 
veller should ascend the most southerly 
of the rocky ribs or aretes that con- 
verge towards the summit. The high- 
est point is the termination of the next 
arete, but when the first has been 
climbed there is no difficulty in reach- 
ing the true summit. Time, 7 hrs. 
from Zermatt to the top ; descent about 
5 hrs. Guides : Melchior Anderegg 
and Johann zum Taugwald. 

Several other excursions from Zer- 



ROUTE B. COL DE ST. THEODULE. 



305 



matt are described in connection with 
routes included in this and the last sec- 
tion. Some of these should not be 
omitted by travellers who may not in- 
tend to cross the passes with which 
they are connected. Of these may be 
particularly mentioned the excursion to 
the Col de St. Theodule, which the 
mountaineer may combine with the as- 
cent of the Breithorn or the Petit Mont 
Cervin (Rte. B). The ascent of the 
Strahlhorn is one of the most interest- 
ing; but for those who do not cross the 
Adler Pass (Rte. 0),it is more easily 
made from the Mattmark See. The 
ascent to the Trift Joch and that of the 
Ebihorn (§19, Rtes. E and F), are 
extremely interesting expeditions. If it 
be possible to pass from the Trift to 
the Arbe Glacier, between the Ober 
Gabelhorn (13,363'), and the CJnter 
Gabelhorn (11,149'), returning to Zer- 
matt by the lower end of the Zmutt 
Glacier, the expedition would include 
many of the noblest views in this 
neighbourhood. The writer has en- 
joyed a considerable portion of the same 
grand scenery in a shorter excursion, 
wherein, after ascending the Trift, he 
climbed the shoulder of the Unter 
Gabelhorn, and then descended by a 
very steep way near to the foot of the 
Zmutt Glacier. 



Route B. 

ZERMATT TO IVREA, BY THE VAL 
TOURNANCHE — COL DE ST. THEO- 
DULE — BREITHORN — MATTERHORN. 

Hrs.' walking Eng. miles 



Col de St. Theodule 4 9 

Breiiil . . . 2£ 6 

Val Tournanche . 2 6 

Chacillon . . 31 10 

Donnaz A% 15 

Ivrea 3f V2\ 

20£ 58| 



The Col de St. Theodule is one of 
the most frequented, and, in fine 



weather, one of the easiest glacier 
passes in the Alps. At certain times 
mules may be taken across, but the 
charge (40 fr. to Yal Tournanche) is 
high, and only excused by the uncer- 
tainty attending the return to Zermatt. 
Ladies who can walk a moderate dis- 
tance may ride part of the way, some- 
times quite to the top of the pass, and 
secure mules or horses to meet them at 
the foot of the glacier, by writing 
beforehand to the innkeeper at Breuil. 
In settled weather mountaineers travel- 
ing two or more together do not require 
a guide, but are strongly advised not to 
neglect the use of the rope. Concealed 
crevasses rarely occur on the line 
usually taken by the guides, but are 
plentiful in some parts of the glaciers ou 
either side, and several fatal accidents 
from this cause are recorded. In 
cloudy weather it is very easy to lose 
the true direction, and strangers may 
soon get involved m serious difficulties. 
The time required for the passage 
depends on the state of the snow. 
Ascending from Zermatt, 4| or 5 hrs. 
generally suffice, and 3 hrs. for the de- 
scent on the same side. From the top 
to Breuil 2 hrs., or 3 hrs. ascending from 
Breuil, is a fair average. In starting 
from the Riffel Hotel, about ^ hr. may 
be saved in the ascent, but it is not 
prudent to attempt it without a guide. 
Owing to the roughness of the way, no 
time is saved by going from the col to 
the Riffel instead of descending to 
Zermatt. 

After crossing the torrent from the 
Zmutt Glacier, about a mile from the 
village the track mounts amid meadows 
and hay-sheds on the W. side of the 
Gorner Glacier. Some arolla pines 
(P. Cembra) are passed, and the slope 
becomes steeper as the Gar bach, a 
torrent descending from the Furgge 
Glacier, crosses the track. The way 
now becomes rough and difficult for 
mules, especially when a stiff ascent 
has led to the" verge of the glacier 
amid loose scattered slabs of gneiss. 
The ascent over the Theodule Glacier 
is rather fatiguing when covered with 



306 



PENNINE ALPS. § 20. 



MONTE ROSA DISTRICT. 



soft snow, and it is therefore desirable 
to pass as early as possible in the day, 
but it is in great part free from 
crevasses. Persons who, in descending 
from the coi, have wandered too much 
to the I. on this glacier have, however, 
encountered unexpected difficulties. 
After ^ hr. it is usual to leave the 
glacier for a ridge of low projecting 
rocks, returning before long to the neve 
which leads in about J hr. to the top 
of the pass, 10,899 ft. above the sea. 
It may be counted as the highest 
frequented pass in Europe, though from 
thirty to forty passes mentioned in this 
work deprive it of the distinction still 
claimed for it as the highest in the 
Alps. A small hut, occupied in sum- 
mer by a man who -offers refresh- 
ment to travellers, has been erected on 
the small patch of bare rock that marks 
the crest of the ridge, nearly on the 
site where Saussure passed three days 
in a temporary shed. The Theodulhorn 
(11,391'), W. of the pass, does not 
command a much Avider view than 
that which is already found here, 
grand enough to satisfy most travellers. 
The mountaineer who seeks a wider 
horizon may gratify his taste by mount- 
ing the Petit Mont Cervin or the 
Breithorn, and some have accomplished 
both ascents on the same day. 

The Breithorn (13,685') is the mas- 
sive, nearly flat-topped mountain form- 
ing the W. termination of the chain of 
Monte Rosa. On the N. side it pre- 
sents ranges of dark rocks rising above 
steep snow-slopes. On the S. side it is 
comparatively easy of access, by a con- 
tinuous slope of moderate inclination, 
but the snow, exposed to the southern 
sun, is often soft, and therefore fatiguing 
to the -climber. The first recorded 
ascent was by the late Lord Minto, one 
of the earliest explorers of this district, 
and the next by our eminent living 
countryman, Sir John Herschel. 

The Petit Mont Cervin (12,749') is a 
detached peak of bold form, lying a 
little S. of the ridge connecting the 
Breithorn with the Col de St. Theo- 
dule, and this with the Matterhorn. 



This is also most easily reached from 
the S. side. The way from the col to 
the Breithorn passes to the S. of the 
Petit Mont Cervin. With the snow in 
very favourable condition, the top of 
the Breithorn has been reached in 
2 hrs. 20 min. from the pass, but a 
much longer time is generally employed. 

The name Matterhorn is retained in 
this work because it is the vernacular 
name in the valley where the mountain 
is chiefly seen and approached by tra- 
vellers. In the Val d'Aosta and the 
Val Tournanche it is called Mont Cer- 
vin. Some Italian writers use the name 
Monte Silvio, but this does not seem to 
be adopted anywhere in the neighbour- 
ing valleys. 

The descent from the Col de St. Theo- 
dule lies for rather more than \ hr. 
over glacier. On the rt„ about 500 ft. 
below the summit, are seen the traces of 
a redoubt long ago thrown up by the 
Swiss to defend this entrance into their 
territory. At the foot of the glacier a 
steep slope of scattered rocks, called 
Les Fourneaux, leads down to the high- 
est pastures, and then an easy descent 
leads in 2 hrs., or little more, from the 
col to Breuil (6,566')> where travellers 
formerly found shelter -in a rude chalet, 
but are now received at one of the 
most comfortable of Alpine inns. The 
cuisine is said to be particularly good. 
This affords excellent head-quarters for 
one who would explore the neighbour- 
ing scenery, and has been the starting- 
point for several attempts, at last nearly 
crowned by success, to scale the summit 
of the Matterhorn. After the failure 
of efforts in which the best mountain- 
eers have pushed daring to the verge 
of temerity, it is allowable to believe 
that this, perhaps alone among the 
great peaks of the Alps, will preserve 
the epithet ' inaccessible.' 

The first serious attempt, made in 
1860. is recounted by Mr. F. Yaughan 
Hawkins in the first volume of 4 Vaca- 
tion Tourists.' The party consisted, 
besides Mr. Hawkins, of Professor 
Tyndall, wkh J. J. Bennen, of Laax, 
and a good local mountaineer, named 



ROUTE B. VAL TOURNANCHE. 



307 



Carrel, as porter. Leaving Breuil at 
3 a.m., they reached in 5^ hrs. a gap 
in the ridge connecting the Matterhorn 
with the Dent d'Herens. This might 
possibly serve as a pass from the 
Zmutt Glacier to Breuil, but the rocks 
on the N. side are perilously steep. E. 
of the gap rise the formidable battle- 
ments of the Matterhorn. Two but- 
tresses of rock, divided by an ice- 
couloir, but seemingly united at the top, 
connect this part of the ridge with the 
topmost tower-shaped summit of the 
mountain. 3 hrs. of very difficult 
climbing over rocks made slippery by 
a varnish of ice did not suffice to reach 
the summit of the 1. hand buttress, 
forming the watershed between Zmutt 
and Breuil. In 1862, Mr. Whymper, 
with great boldness and perseverance, 
made several attempts, which were 
carried higher on the same ridge, and 
were terminated by an accident, in 
which that gentleman had an extra- 
ordinary escape from destruction. 
Later in the same season, Professor 
Tyndall returned with Bennen and 
another guide, and on this occasion 
overcame all the difficulties that had 
seemed so formidable from below ; but 
at a point a few hundred ft. below 
the summit they were arrested by faces 
of rock that defied their utmost efforts. 
In returning they were forced to let 
themselves down the rocks by a rope, 
which probably still remains attached 
to a pole thrust into a crevice. 

It has been suggestedthat the hitherto 
untouched peak of the Dent d'Herens 
(13,714') might be reached by Breuil, 
but the editor has not heard of the 
attempt having been actually made. 

Breuil is an excellent station for the 
botanist, who, among other rare Alpine 
plants, may here find Saponaria lutea, 
Silene vallesia, TrifoUum saxatile, Po~ 
tentilla norvegica y and P. nivea. 

The grand peaks surrounding the 
head of the Val Tournanche, and the 
huge blocks that are scattered on the 
lower slopes, give an air of extraor- 
dinary wildness to the scenery. The 
track below Breuil soon enters 



ravine, and is carried along a steep 
slope of rock to the little chapel of 
Notre Dame de la Garde, about 3j m. 
After a steep descent the stream is 
crossed, and the path lies on the rt. 
bank until, after returning to the E. 
side, a short ascent leads to 

Val Tournanche (5,057'), the highest 
village in the valley. The village inn 
affords tolerable quarters, but very 
inferior to those at Breuil. Antoine 
Pession is a good guide for the ascent 
of the Breithorn and the passes at the 
head of the valley. [For the pass to 
the Val Pellina by the Col de Vacor- 
nere, see § 18, Rte. I.] The view down 
the valley, closed by a distant peak of 
the Cogne mountains, is extremely 
fine. A steep descent leads from the 
village to the bridge, after which the 
track is carried nearly all the way 
along the rt. bank amidst very beauti- 
ful scenery. 4 The valley is green and 
usually shaded with noble chestnuts and 
walnut trees ; below foams the torrent, 
above on each side are tremendous 
rocks and precipices, and the Mont 
Cervin is frequently in view. About 
an hour below Val Tournanche some 
extraordinary remains of a Roman 
aqueduct may be seen high up on the 
face of the rock on the rt., and they are 
continued at intervals for several miles. 
The finest portion consists of several 
arches, very perfect, hanging like a pic- 
ture against a nearly perpendicular cliff 
several hundred feet above the valley, 
nearly opposite the village of Antey. 
The road continues on the rt. bank for 
nearly 2 hrs., then crosses for about 
10 min., and returns to the rt. bank 
for the rest of the way to Chatillon. 
The mule-track for the last 2 m. rises 
high above the stream, but pedestrians 
can find paths close to the stream and 
through green and shady meadows till 
close to Chatillon. This part of the 
valley is fearfully hot in summer, and 
should be passed early in the morning 
or late in the evening.'- [M.] 

Those who are bound from Zermatt 
to the valley of Ay as may combine the 
finest part of the scenery of Val Tour- 



x 2 



308 



PENNINE ALPS. § 20. 



MONTE EOSA DISTRICT. 



nanche with a tolerably direct route to 
the former valley, by crossing the Col de 
Portola from Antey to Ay as (Rte. H). 

Ciidtillon (Inns: Palais Royal, tole- 
rably good ; Lion d'Or) is a large 
village (1,690'), on the high route 
from Aosta to Ivrea, about 15 m. from 
the former city (see Rte. I), at the 
junction of the Val Tournanche with 
the Val d' Aosta. The chief objects of 
interest are the bridges. A Roman 
arch, still standing, is surmounted by a 
later bridge, which in its turn was 
superseded by the modern structure, a 
single arch boldly thrown across at a 
great height above the stream. Several 
ruined chateaux on the heights above 
the valley add to the picturesqueness 
of this part of the Val d' Aosta. An 
active walker starting very early from 
Zermatt may reach Chatillon in 1 1 hrs. 
exclusive of halts, in time to hire a 
vehicle, which will carry him down to 
Ivrea on the same evening in about 
4| hrs. Few will wish to walk, as the 
way is extremely hot and dusty. 

At St. Vincent, l|m. below Chatillon, 
are some mineral baths and two inns 
(Ecu de France ; Lion d'Or) said to be 
pretty well kept. This place, sur- 
rounded by magnificent chestnut and 
walnut trees, is the pleasantest spot for 
a halt between Aosta and Ivrea. Here 
turns off the mule-path to Gressonay, 
described in Rte. I. The Dora Baltea, 
which had flowed about due E. for 
25 m., now turns to SSE. The Pont des 
Sarasins, a picturesque bridge over a 
ravine, commands a last and beautiful 
view to the W., and the road enters a 
defile amidst syenite rocks, here in- 
terposed between the palaeozoic schists 
of the head of the valley and a 
zone of gneiss stretching from the S. 
side of the Graian chain to the head 
of the Val Sesia. 

The ruined castle of St. Germain 
surmounts the rocks which command 
the defile. At its S. end the valley 
widens out, and about 9 m. from 
Chatillon reaches 

Verrex (Inns: Ecu de France, ex- 
tortionate ; Couronne), a thriving I 



village (1,280') at the junction of the 
Val Challant (Rte. C) with the main 
valley. The old tower of the castle 
of Challant belonging to the former 
lords of this district commands a noble 
view. The road continues to descend 
through a straight and narrow stretch 
of the valley to Bard, a poor village 
at the junction of the Val Champorcher 
(§ 14, Rte. D), with a mean and dirty 
inn (Sole), famous for its fort, which 
in 1800 all but changed the destinies of 
Europe, by barring the passage of the 
valley to the French army under 
Napoleon. It has been greatly strength- 
ened, and is now supposed to be 
impregnable. About a mile lower 
down is Donnaz, reached through a 
narrow pass where the road overhangs 
the river. A cutting through the live 
rock, of Roman work, retains the 
measurement, reckoned probably from 
Aosta, xxxii. m.p. About 1 m. more 
of rather rapid descent leads to 

Pont St. Martin (Inn : Rosa Rossa, 
tolerably good), one of the most 
beautiful places in the valley, at the 
junction of the Lys, descending from 
the glaciers of Monte Rosa. The road 
crosses a modern bridge near to a lofty 
Roman arch, which still serves for one 
of the paths leading up the Val de Lys 
(Rte. D). At this point the Dora may 
be said to issue from the Alps, and the 
Val d' Aosta, no longer hemmed in 
between lofty ranges, widens out with 
a nearly level floor between the hills 
that gradually subside into the plain 
of Piedmont. The language under- 
goes a corresponding change, and the 
rude French dialect spoken in the Val 
d' Aosta and the tributary valleys above 
St. Martin gives place to an equally 
rude Italian dialect, characteristic of 
the province of Novara. The cul- 
tivation rapidly changes its character, 
and the mulberry takes the place of 
the chestnut, as the road, after passing 
under the castle of Montaldo, and past 
Settimo Vittone, lies at some distance 
from the Dora, traversing the rich flat 
that terminates at the walls of 

Ivrea (Inns: Europa, the largest — 



EOUTE C. SCHWAEZ THOR. 



309 



many complaints of bad accommodation 
and high charges; Lion d'Or, very 
fair), a rather large town, 768 ft. 
above the sea. The old castle, now a 
prison, has an imposing appearance, 
and the entrance from the S. by a 
fine bridge over the Dora is highly 
picturesque. The geologist should not 
fail to examine the hills, which appear 
to enclose the mouth of the valley 
below the town. They are the gigantic 
moraines of a glacier which once united 
the separate ice-streams that flowed 
from each lateral valley of the Pen- 
nine and Graian Alps, into the Val 
d'Aosta. 

Ivrea being now connected by rly. 
with Turin (2 hrs. 10 m.), and with 
Novara (3 hrs., or more, owing to 
delay at Chivasso), a traveller starting 
by the first train may with great ease 
reach, in a single day, almost any of 
the valleys of the Piedmontese or 
Lombard Alps. If his aim be some 
remoter point, he may sleep on the 
same night at Venice or Bologna, or 
reach Genoa in time for the evening 
steamer to Leghorn, or, after spending 
the day in Turin, he may be in Paris 
on the morning of the day next but 
one following. 



Route C. 

ZERMATT TO VERREX, BY THE SCHWARZ 
THOR AND THE VAL D'AYAS. 

It has been a difficult matter to 
decide how the valleys radiating from 
the S. and E. sides of the range of 
Monte Rosa, and the passes connected 
with them, may most conveniently 
be described. Until lately travellers, 
selecting either the higher passes 
nearest the central mass, or those more 
distant and rather easier, made either 
partially or completely the circuit of 
the entire group included in the present 
section. But since the number of 



known passes between the adjoining 
valleys has been largely increased, and 
mountaineers have found their way 
across the range of Monte Rosa from 
Zermatt to the head of each of the 
four principal valleys, over what was 
long deemed an impassable barrier, the 
number of possible routes open to 
future visitors is multiplied to an extent 
rather inconvenient to the writer of 
a guide-book. In this, and the three 
following routes, the direct passes 
leading from Zermatt, and the course 
down each valley to its lower extremity, 
are described, while in the subsequent 
routes are included most of the passes 
lying in the circuit round the S. and 
E. sides of the range. As the passes 
across the range of Monte Rosa are the 
highest known in the Alps, there is a 
manifest advantage in taking them 
from the Riffel Hotel, except in the 
case of the Sesia Joch, as yet so little 
known that it is more prudent to at- 
tempt the ascent from the Val Sesia side. 

It has been already observed that 
the long, nearly flat-topped ridge of 
the Breithorn presents towards Zermatt 
and the Gorner Glacier ranges of 
seemingly impracticable rocks. On its 
E. side it is separated from the broken 
masses of rock and ice that descend 
from the Zwillinge towards the Gorner 
Glacier by the Schw'drze Glacier, 
expanding gradually in width as it 
descends from the summit of the ridge, 
and usually broken into a giant stair- 
case by broad parallel transverse 
crevasses. This is bordered on one 
side by a range of nearly vertical rocks 
facing a little N. of E., at first very 
lofty, but diminishing in height as the 
glacier towards its source approaches 
the level of the ridge. At the head of 
the glacier is a small gently sloping 
plateau between the last rocks of the 
Breithorn and the NW. summit of the 
Zwillinge, fancifully called Pollux. 
This forms the pass of the Schwarz 
Thor, first traversed in 1845 by the 
editor of this volume, and described 
by him in the first series of ' Peaks, 
Passes, and Glaciers.' It is probable 



310 



PENNINE ALPS. § 20. MONTE ROSA DISTRICT. 



that with more experience than he then 
possessed, the difficulties described in 
that work might have been in great 
part avoided. It is an illustration 
of the varying nature of glaciers, 
that while others who have crossed 
the pass have met more or less of 
difficulty among the seracs on the E. 
side of the glacier, the Rev. Leslie 
Stephen found the crevasses closed in 
1861, and was able to run without 
interruption from the top to the level 
of the Gorner Glacier. The height, 
as determined by a boiling-water 
observation of Sir T. F. Buxton, is 
12,777 ft., closely agreeing with the 
writer's estimate. From the actual 
col, the view to the N., including the 
Bernese Oberland, and the nearer 
masses of the Weisshorn and the Saas 
Grat, is shut out by the last rocks of 
the Breithorn, and should be seen a 
short way before reaching the summit. 
It appears that the summit of Pollux 
(13,432') might be easily reached from 
the col. 

On the S. side it is necessary to keep 
to the rt. along the base of the Breithorn 
rocks, which rise but little above the 
level of the col, passing quickly, as 
blocks of ice are sometimes detached 
from the topmost ledge. The de- 
scent over the upper glacier of Ayas 
is steep but quite free from difficulty, 
until after coming down about 3,000 ft. 
a projecting barrier of rock splits the 
glacier into numerous crevasses. These 
are avoided by bearing to the L, 
and ascending slightly, whereby the 
traveller reaches a ridge of rock di- 
viding the two lower branches of the 
Ayas Glacier. These are apparently 
distinguished on most of the maps by the 
names Ayas Glacier and Verra Glacier; 
they are not, however, distinct streams. 
It is easy to descend to and cross 
the E. branch, or Verra Glacier, and 
near its foot, a hut, occupied by a 
herdsman for a few weeks in summer, 
is the first token of the presence of 
man since leaving the Riffel Hotel. 
Nearly an hour's walk along the 
torrent is required to reach the hamlet 



of San Giacomo d'Ayas, where a 
little mountain inn with four beds has 
lately been opened. This will greatly 
facilitate the exploration of the neigh- 
bouring glaciers, which do not appear 
to have been as yet correctly laid down 
on any map. 

The upper part of the valley into 
which the traveller has descended is 
called Vol d'Ayas. Not to speak of 
minor tributaries, it unites two main 
glacier torrents — that from the Aventina 
Glacier, lying on the S. slopes of the 
Breithorn, and that from the Ayas 
I Glacier by which the traveller has 
descended from the Schwarz Thor. 
The united stream is called Evanson. 

The people of this valley speak a 
patois which approaches to, but seems 
different from, the French dialect of 
the Val d'Aosta. Owing to the want 
of decent accommodation, travellers 
have hurried rapidly through beautiful 
scenery which would certainly reward 
a closer exploration than it has yet 
received. It is a walk of 3 hrs. from 
S. Giacomo, passing about half-way 
the village of Ayas, and the vestiges of 
a lake formed by a great landslip, 
to Brussone, a finely situated village, 
now possessing a good mountain inn 
(Lion d'Or). It lies on the most 
frequented route from Aosta to Gres- 
sonay. The various passes leading into 
the valley are described in Rtes. G, H, 
and L 

Below Brussone the valley is called 
Val ChallanL Following the track 
along the stream, a walk of 3 hrs. leads 
the traveller to Verrex (see last Rte,). 
The scenery continues throughout very 
beautiful, but the way is very hot, and 
the inhabitants are afflicted with goitre 
and cretinism to a painful extent. 



ROUTE D. LYS JOCH. 



311 



Route D. 

ZERMATT TO PONT ST. MARTIN, BY 
THE LYS JOCH, OR ZWILLINGE 
JOCH, AND THE TAL DE LYS. 

Before the establishment of the hotel 
on the Riffel, the idea of attempting a 
pass across the central and highest 
part of the range of Monte Rosa, direct 
from Zermatt to Gressonay in the Val 
de Lys, had occurred to some moun- 
taineers, but the great distance to be 
traversed, the unusual height of the 
pass, and the uncertainty as to the 
means of returning in case of failure, 
were so many discouragements to the 
attempt. It was not until 1859 that 
the pass across the Grand Plateau of 
Monte Rosa was to be shown not only 
practicable, but in fine weather free from 
serious difficulty. Although more than 
14,000 ft. in height, it is not, when 
taken from the Riffel, more laborious 
than many other snow-passes. In 1861 
another pass was effected between the 
Lys and Gorner Glaciers, passing be- 
tween the Lyskamm and Castor, the E. 
summit of the Zwillinge. Though 
lower, this is a more difficult pass than 
the other, and less likely to come into 
general use. The merit of having 
been the first to open these routes, so 
full of interest to all Alpine travellers, 
is mainly due to Mr. W. Mathews, 
junr., and may be reckoned amongst 
the most useful achievements of that 
excellent mountaineer. 

1. The Lys Joch, or Silber Pass. By 
one or other name the pass over the 
Grand Plateau of Monte Rosa is known 
at Zermatt and Gressonay. The way 
to the summit is clearly seen from the 
Gorner Grat or the Rothe Kumm. It 
lies by the Monte Rosa Gletscher, 
which (Rte. A) descends to join the 
Gorner Glacier between the rocks of 
Auf der Platte and those of the Lys- 
kamm. Several of the best Zermatt 
and other guides are now acquainted 
with the pass, which may be made from 
the Riffel to Gressonay in 10 or 11 hrs., 
exclusive of halts, and presents no un- 



i usual difficulty, but it would be ex- 
tremely laborious if the snow happened 
to be soft. It is therefore desirable to 
start before daylight, so as to make a 
part of the ascent before the sun has 
begun to tell on the surface. 

After crossing the Gorner Glacier, it 
is possible to ascend by the mid -channel 
of the Monte Rosa Glacier, but, as the 
crevasses are numerous and difficult 
near the junction of the two streams, 
it is better to follow the ordinary route 
to Monte Rosa as far as 'Auf der Platte' 
before diverging into the great valley 
which separates Monte Rosa from the 
Lyskamm. In 5 or 6 hrs. from the 
Riffel the traveller may reach the 
Grand Plateau, a nearly level tract 
more than 1 m. across, and higher than 
the summit of the Finster Aarhorn, 
around which the highest peaks of the 
range rise as low hills of snow broken 
by projecting rocts, The pass lies 
across the ridge which forms the 
southern boundary of the plateau, and 
connects the Lyskamm and the Parrot 
Spitze. There appear to be two cols, 
separated from each other by a low 
dome of snow, but that nearer the Lys- 
kamm is usually divided from the 
Plateau by an impassable bergschrund, 
so that it is necessary to effect the pas- 
sage by the opening on the left, between 
the snow-dome and the Parrot Spitze. 
This is the Lys Joch, elevated 14,040 
ft.- above the sea, according to the ob- 
servations of Mr. Tuckett. On arriving 
at this point the traveller looks down 
upon the great plain of Piedmont, 
enclosed by the Ligurian Apennine and 
the curving line of the Maritime and 
Cottian Alps, from which, at a distance 
of nearly 100 m., rises the noble pin- 
nacle of Monte Viso. In the immediate 
foreground is the eastern arm of the 
Lys Glacier, bounded on the rt. by a 
long spur of the Lyskamm, and on the 
1. by the line of peaks from the Lud- 
wigshohe to the Vincent Pyramide. In 

nr. the descent is made without dif- 
ficulty on the eastern side of the gla- 
cier to the northern foot of the Hohes 
Licht (11,633')^ rocky peak below the 



312 



PENNINE ALPS. § 20. 



MONTE ROSA DISTRICT. 



Vincent Pyramide, -with which it is con- 
nected by a low snow-ridge dividing 
the Lys Glacier from that of Garstelet. 

A few yards distant is a ruined 
miner's cabin (10,784'), used as a camp- 
ing-place by the earlier explorers of 
Monte Rosa, in some of their attempts 
to ascend the mountain from the S. 
From the foot of the Holies Licht there 
is an extensive and beautiful view to the 
westward, where Mont Bianc is seen at 
the head of the Val d'Aosta, flanked by 
many of the Graian and Pennine Alps. 
A still more extensive panorama might 
probably be obtained by climbing to 
the summit of the peak itself. Looking 
southward, the Lys Glacier is seen on 
the rt., occupying the deep hollow be- 
tween the Hones Licht and the Felik- 
horn. It is formed by the union of two 
main streams — the eastern, flowing 
down from the ridge which connects 
Monte Rosa with the Lyskamm, the 
western from that which connects the 
Lyskamm with the Twins. The two 
arms are divided from each other by 
the great southern buttress of the Lys- 
kamm, which terminates in a steep 
rocky promontory called the Nase. 
The base of this is 11,155' above the 
sea, and the highest of its peaks, of 
which there appear to be three, 11,910'. 
[The Nase is most easily reached from 
the E. side by crossing the glacier from 
the Hohes Licht. Both are easily com- 
bined in an excursion from Gressonay. 
Notwithstanding its great height, the 
Nase produces several species of flower- 
ing plants.] 

The descent from the Hohes Licht 
presents little difficulty. Easy snow- 
slopes on the E. side of the peak termi- 
nate in a series of gently inclined sur- 
faces of rock that lead down near to 
the lower end of the Garstelet Glacier. 
There is here a choice of three ways to 
the Val de Lys : 1st, turning sharply to 
the ft., and passing near the Salzia See, 
the traveller may cross the Salzia 
Furhe, a gap in the ridge connecting 
the Hohes Licht with the Telchenhorn, 
and descend along the Vordere Salze 
Bach into the head of the Val de Lys, 



close to the extremity of the Lys 
Glacier ; 2nd, by descending due S. 
from the Garstelet Glacier, he may 
pass by the Indren to the Gabiet Alp, 
and thence by the Lavez Thai into the 
Val de Lys ; 3rd, and probably a still 
shorter way, is to pass by the Gabiet 
See, and descend into the Val de Lvs 
by the Netsch Thai, opening near to 
La Trinite. 

Should the traveller follow the first 
of these routes, he will find near the foot 
of the Lys Glacier, on its eastern side, 
a chalet called Cour de Lys (6,571'), 
with better accommodation than usual, 
and containing one tolerable bed. It 
may be used by anyone attempting 
this, or the Zwillinge Joch, from the 
S. side. This is the highest inhabited 
house in one of the main valleys on 
the S. side of Monte Rosa, called Val 
de Lys, Lys Thai, or Vallese in the 
French, German, or Italian dialects of 
the neighbourhood. As in the adjoin- 
ing valleys of Sesia and Anzasca, the 
population of the upper part is German. 
The lower part apparently includes a 
mixture of the Piedmontese element 
with the Gaulish race of the upper Val 
d'Aosta. Much speculation has been 
excited by the presence of a German 
population, separated from those of the 
same race on the Swiss side by the 
range of Monte Rosa, a barrier till 
lately thought utterly impassable. 
There is now little doubt that they 
came originally from the Valais through 
the Saas Thai, and over the once 
frequented pass of Monte Moro, cross- 
ing in succession the passes leading to 
the Val Sesia, and thence to the Val 
de Lys. They may probably have found 
the upper end of each valley unoccu- 
pied, though their activity and industry 
have created prosperous villages not far 
from the foot of the glaciers. 

A little below the Cour de Lys is a 
large house belonging to Baron Peccoz,a 
native of the valley, who, having made 
a fortune in Germany, was ennobled 
by the late King of Bavaria, and 
returned to his birthplace to indulge in 
chamois-hunting. At St. Jean he has 



ROUTE D. — ZWILLINGE JOCH. 



313 



a collection of stuffed animals and birds, 
killed by himself, which deserves a 
visit. The first hamlet is San Pietro, 
followed by another called San Gia- 
como, and below these is the village 
of Gressonay la Trinite, about 1^ hr. 
below the Cour de Lys. [The passes 
on either side are described in lite. H.] 
Farther on is Noversch, where live 
Herr Zumstein (the name is sometimes 
translated M. de la Pierre), one of the 
first explorers of the upper region of 
Monte Rosa. An account of his re- 
peated ascents of the Zumstein Spitze, 
abridged from Von Welden's work, is 
contained in King's ' Italian Valleys of 
the Pennine Alps/ About 2f hrs. from 
the chalet is the principal and the 
lowest of the German villages, 

Gressonay St. Jean (Inns : Hotel Dela- 
pierre, very good considering its remote 
position, landlord very attentive ; H. 
Chianale). By far the most comfortable 
quarters to be found in the Italian 
valleys of Monte Rosa are here, bat the 
traveller must not expect as much 
preparation for his convenience as in 
the frequented parts of Switzerland. 
The guides are very inferior to those 
on the Swiss side of Monte Rosa. The 
editor has not heard of any in this 
valley deserving special mention. 

' Gressonay is properly the name of 
the commune which includes all the 
upper part of the Val de Lys, or 
Lysthal. There are many hamlets 
scattered along the course of the 
stream for a distance of about 8 m. 
The principal one is that of St. Jean, 
where alone good accommodation is to 
be found. The beauty of the scenery, 
the interesting objects in the neigh- 
bourhood, and the comfortable quarters, 
combine to make this the most desir- 
able stopping-place on the Italian side 
of Monte Rosa ; but for those who 
desire a close acquaintance with the 
great mountain, the distance of St. 
Jean from the head of the valley (fully 
3 hrs.' walk to the foot of the glacier) 
is a serious drawback. St. Jean is 
4,659 ft. above the sea.'— [M.] 

The situation of Gressonay, amidst 



meadows and fruit trees, in a green 
basin formed by the widening out of 
the valley, is very beautiful. Several 
days may be well spent here. Among 
the more interesting excursions are a 
visit to the Lys Glacier, the ascent of 
the Grauhaupt (Rte. H), the Telchen- 
horn (Rte. G), and that of the Com- 
betta (Rte. I). 

From Gressonay to St. Martin in the 
Val d'Aosta (Rte. B) is considered a 
walk of 6 hrs., about 16 m. About 
a mile below the village the valley 
contracts, and the German inhabitants 
are left behind. ' The track passes 
many villages and hamlets, of which 
the principal are Gaby, Issime, Fontaine- 
moire, and Lillianes, through wild and 
imposing rock scenery, combined with 
the richest vegetation, in a manner 
characteristic of the Val d'Aosta and 
its lateral valleys. About Trina the 
valley is strewn with huge rolled blocks 
or boulders. As you approach the 
Ponte di Trinita the scene becomes 
sterner — more shattered precipices and 
long shoots of debris and detached 
rocks. Below Issime an unbroken and 
beautiful wood of sweet chestnut 
stretches across the valley.' — [M.] 

2. The Zwiliinge Jock. The only 
account of this pass is that given by Mr. 
W. Mathews in the second series of 
' Peaks, Passes, and Glaciers.' It was 
traversed for the first time by him and 
Mr. Jacomb, with Michel and J. B. 
Croz, of Chamouni, on the 23rd of 
August, 1861. Two men of the Val de 
Lys, who were engaged as porters, 
were sent back from the top of the 
pass. Following Mr. Mathews, the 
route is described as taken from the S. 
side. 

4 At 2.20 a.m. we left the chalet of 
Cour de Lys, with a brilliant moon and 
cloudless sky, crossed the Lys at once, 
and walked along the moraine on the 
W. side of the Lys Glacier until we 
were clear of the Felik Horn, and had 
reached a ravine coming down from 
the IN W. We turned into this ravine, 
and after mounting some grassy slopes, 
climbed up the rocks on our rt., which 



314 



PENNINE ALPS. 



20. 



MONTE ROSA DISTRICT. 



led us up' to an immense tract of snow i 
extending from the Felik Horn to the 
Zwillinge. Here, at 6 a.m., we halted 
for breakfast, and started again at 7, 
making straight across the snow-field 
for the base of a summit which turned 
out to be an eastern outwork of Castor, 
the E. summit of the Twins. We were 
forced to take this course, as the snow 
plateau is elevated far above the W. 
arm of the Lys Glacier on very 
steep precipices of rock, and they are 
united only by their uppermost por- 
tions. Schlagintweit's map of this 
portion of the range contains many 
errors. Instead of making for the 
apparent col, which lies somewhat to 
the rt., we thought it would be easier to 
make for another apparently higher 
and more to the 1. This was at the 
summit of a steep and wide couloir of 
suow, with a deep crevasse on the rt., 
and a vertical icicle-fringed wall of 
snow beyond it. We cut steps up the 
1. hand lip of the crevasse, and crossing 
it at the top, gained the ridge at 9.45. 
Here we found that we had really 
taken the right course. That which 
looks from below the true col rises 
beyond the sky line and joins our col 
at the same level.' — [W. M,] 

Finding that they had time to spare, 
Messrs. Mathews and Jacomb, with 
Michel Croz, resolved to reach the 
summit of Castor. Having cut steps 
up the first peak on the W. of the col, 
and finding this not the true summit, 
they went on again, and reached the 
highest point at 10.45. This is 13,879 
ft. in height, and therefore overlooks 
all the summits to the W. between it 
and the Matterhorn. The view in- 
cluded the whole of the Pennine and 
Graian Alps, and nearly all the sum- 
mits of the Bernese chain. To the 
SW., beyond the Graians it extended 
to the Cottian and Maritime Alps, with 
Monte Viso iu the midst, and to the 
range of the Ligurian Apennine. 

The summit of the pass had already 
been reached by Mr. Tuckett in his 
first attempt to ascend the Lyskamm ; 
and his barometer observation, com- 



pared with Geneva, Aosta, and the St. 
Bernard, gives 13,517 ft. for the height 
of the col. If the latter comparison 
ought to be preferred, as is most pro- 
bable, this measurement should be re- 
duced to about 13,400 ft. 

Quitting the col at 12.45, the party 
ran down the upper slopes of the Zwil- 
linge Glacier until they reached the 
dimcult seracs into which it is broken 
before uniting with the Gorner Glacier. 
These afford some of the finest snow 
and ice scenery in the Monte Rosa 
chain. At 2.30 they had cleared this 
difficulty, and were upon the ice of the 
great Gorner Glacier. From that 
point | hr. suffices to reach the path of 
the Rothe Kumm, and 1 hr. more to 
arrive at the Riffel Hotel. 

It would appear that 10 hrs., exclu- 
sive of halts, suffice for the pass from 
the S. side ; 9 hrs., therefore, may be 
allowed from the Ritfel to Cour de 
Lys, or 11^ hrs. to Gressonay, being a 
little more than is needed for the Lys 
Joch. It must be recollected that these 
estimates refer to the performances of 
good mountaineers in thorough training. 
None others should attempt these passes. 



Route E. 

ZERMATT TO VARALLO, RT THE SESIA 
JOCH AND THE VAL SESIA. 

It is not without hesitation that the 
pass here described is admitted as such. 
It is for the present doubtful whether 
the passage of the ridge between the 
Signal Kuppe and the Parrot Spitze by 
Messrs. H. B. George and Moore is to 
be considered as a tour de force, never, 
or very rareh r , to be repeated, or 
whether when better known the diffi- 
culties will be found less formidable. 
For the present it can with prudence 
be attempted only from the SE., or Val 
Sesia side, and in July, when the days 
are long and the snow has not been 
melted away from the higher rocks. 

A traveller who has reached the 
Grand Plateau after ascending the 



ROUTE E. — SERIA GLACIER. 



315 



Monte Rosa Glacier has on the E. the 
summit of the Signal Kuppe (14,964'), 
and to the SE. that of the Parrot Spitze 
(14,57 V), connected together by a ridge 
which rises about 300 ft. above the 
level of the Plateau. On gaining this 
ridge he looks down upon the Sesia 
Glacier and the head of the Val Sesia, 
lying some 8,000 ft. below him, and 
separated by a series of precipices 
and ice-slopes that are only less for- 
midable in appearance than those 
of the E. face of Monte Rosa over- 
hanging the Macugnaga Glacier. The 
attempt to force a direct passage across 
this barrier, certainly not less than 
14,300 ft. in height, must be counted 
amongst the most daring of recent ex- 
ploits in the Alps. The editor has 
been favoured with the following notes 
by Mr. H. B. George. The guides were 
Christian Aimer, of Grindelwald, and 
Matthaus zum Taugwald, of Zermatt. 

* We slept at some good chalets about 
2§ hours from Alagua, reached by the 
1. bank of the torrent from the Sesia 
Glacier, and left our quarters at 2.35 
a.m. For 3 hrs. we marched over slopes 
generally knee-deep in rhododendrons, 
and at last very stony, to a point some 
way up the left bank of the Sesia 
Glacier. After a short halt we made 
our way across the glacier to the right 
hand corner of the base of the Parrot 
Spitze, which lay nearly opposite us, 
and began climbing the rocks of which 
it is composed. After 2 hrs. of very 
easy but rapid ascent we had some 
steep snow-slopes to mount, and then 
came to the foot of the arete that took 
us almost to the top. The ascent of 
this is an affair of extreme difficulty, 
and would scarcely have been possible 
bat for Aimer's skill and determina- 
tion. We tried to get along the ice- 
slope to the couloir between the Parrot 
Spitze and Signal Kuppe, with a view 
to making our way up to the lowest 
point on the ridge between them, but 
the couloir itself looked frightfully 
steep, besides being dangerous from 
avalanches ; so we relinquished it for 
the arete. This consisted of extremely 



steep rocks, often affording very slight 
footing, intermixed with narrow edges 
of snow, so steep as hardly to admit of 
steps being cut in the tides of them. 
After 3| hrs. of this work we came 
to a slope of ice, covered a few inches 
deep with snow varying from 43° to 
50°, which in rather more than an hour, 
or nearly 13 hrs. from our starting- 
point, brought us to the top ; i.e. to a 
point on the ridge going up from the 
saddle to the summit of the Parrot 
Spitze, about 120 ft. below the peak, 
and perhaps 60 ft. above the true col, 
which is practically inaccessible. The 
descent of the Monte Rosa Glacier to 
Zermatt was straight forward. It 
would be impossible to take this pass 
from Zermatt, or either way late in the 
year when the snow was gone from the 
gaps in the rock arete, and off the steep 
ice-slope immediately below the top. 
There are chalets, not so good, 2 hrs. 
or more higher up the Val Sesia than 
where we slept, but we saw no good 
place for a bivouac. Christian Aimer 
led the way throughout, never being 
at fault for a moment, although he had 
only seen the mountain for 10 minutes 
through a break in the clouds two days 
before, our whole route remaining hid 
in cloud until we were fairly on the 
base of the Parrot Spitze. The view 
from the summit, including the Italian 
lakes and Monte Viso, was marvellous.' 
— [H. B. G.] 

The Sesia Glacier is formed in the 
angle between the eastern ridge of 
Monte Rosa extending from the Signal 
Kuppe to the Monte delle Loccie, and 
the southern ridge connecting the Par- 
rot Spitze and the Vincent Pyramide. 
Owing to the great steepness of the 
walls of rock that enclose it, no great 
accumulation of snow takes place at 
a high level, and the dimensions of 
the glacier are small as compared 
with the height of the surrounding 
mountains. The N. branch of the 
glacier, which is not separated by a 
ridge of rock, as erroneously laid down 
in Schlagintweit's map, descends from 
the Col del Pizzo described in Rte. G. 



316 



PENNINE ALPS. § 20. 



MONTE EOSA DISTRICT. 



To the S. of the Sesia Glacier on the 
E. side of the ridge connecting the 
Vincent Pyramide with the Col delle 
Piscie (Rte, G), is the Embours Glacier 
which sends down its torrent through 
the Embours Thai to join the Sesia, 
below the pastures and chalets of the 
Pile Alp. Travellers visiting the Vai 
Sesia should not fail to approach the 
base of Monte Rosa at least as near as 
this point, which may be reached in 
2 hrs. from Alagna. The view may 
rank as second only to that from 
the Macugnaga Glacier. A still nearer 
view may be gained by ascending the 
ridge N. of the Embours Thai about 
Ifhr. from the Pile Alp. At the head 
of the latter valley is seen a very fine 
waterfall, 600 ft. (?) in height, fed by 
the snows of the Vincent Pyramide. 

The first ascent of the Signal Kuppe 
was made in 1842 by M. Gniffetti, the 
cure of Alagna, who is well acquainted 
with the mountains, and readily gives 
advice and assistance to travellers. 

After three abortive attempts in 1834, 
1836, and 1839, he was finally successful 
on the 9th of August, 1843. Ail these 
expeditions were made by the Lys Joch 
and the Grand Plateau, occupying two 
days, and involving a night's encamp- 
ment on the rocks. As the Plateau is so 
easily reached by way of the Monte Rosa 
Glacier, persons desirous of ascending 
this peak should do so from the Riffel, 
from which place the whole excursion 
may readily be effected in a single day. 
This route to the summit of the Signal 
Kuppe was first taken in 1861 by Mr. 
Tuckett, accompanied by Messrs. C. H. 
and W. F. Fox. 

In descending from the Sesia Glacier 
to Alagna it is best to keep to the k 
bank of the torrent until, after joining 
the track from the Turlo Pass (Rte. 
H), a bridge with an oratory beside it 
is crossed. The way then lies chiefly 
on the rt. bank, again crossing and re- 
crossing the Sesia. In descending from 
the Pile Alp the path lies cn the rt. 
bank of the Sesia, descending a steep 
staircase of rock at the base of the 
Staffelberg, which shuts out the view of 



Monte Rosa, until at the oratory above 
mentioned it joins the main track to 

Alagna (Inn : H. Monte Rosa, good, 
clean, and obliging people). ' Unrea- 
sonable demands are made here both 
for guides and mules, which ought to 
be resisted.'— [M. j 

Though near to some of the finest 
scenery in the Alps, the position of the 
village is not very striking, and per- 
haps on this account the great majority 
of travellers were, until lately, content 
to traverse the valley without attempt- 
ing to become acquainted with its re- 
cesses. Increased attention has been 
given to it of late years, especially 
since the publication of the Rev. S. W. 
King's ' Italian Valleys,' and some of 
the grandest scenes in the Alpine chain 
have thus been brought within the 
range of ordinary tourists. The com- 
mune of Alagna, including all the 
upper part of Val Sesia, is German, 
but frequent intercourse with their 
Italian neighbours has caused some 
intermixture of dialects. This is a 
centre whence diverge many paths 
leading to passes which are described 
in Rtes. G, H, and I. The most fre- 
quented route is that descending the 
Val Sesia to Varallo. The distances 
are as follows : — 

Hrs.' walking Eng. miles 
Riva ... | 1£ 
Mollia ... 2 6 
Piode . 2 6 

Scopello I 1£ 

Varallo . . 3| 10§ 

5 251 

Foot-path to Mollia — char-road to 
Piode — good carriage-road to Varallo. 
A rougii path leads from Alagna to 
Riva, the highest Italian village, 
with a miserable inn. There is a 
striking contrast between the apparent 
poverty of the people and the compara- 
tive splendour of the church, covered 
within and without by fresco paintings 
of considerable merit, the work of a 
native artist, one amongst many who 
have attained celebrity. From the 
village is a grand view of the peaks 
and glaciers at the head of the valley. 
I M. Carestia, the cure of Riva, is an 



ROUTE E. VARALLO. 



317 



excellent botanist, but has lately suf- 
fered from ill-health. The flora of 
the southern and eastern valleys of 
Monte Rosa offers a great general re- 
semblance, but includes several species 
very rare or unknown elsewhere in the 
Alps. Of these may be noted Senecio 
unifionis, Campanula excisa, Potentilla 
grarnmopetala, and Saxifraga stenopetala. 
Still more interesting is the discovery 
by M. Carestia of Cherleraia imbricata 
on the Nase, and near the Vincenthiitte 
above the Lys Glacier. 

Close to Rivathe metamorphic slates 
constituting the rocks at the head of the 
Val Sesia give place to gneiss, which 
extends from hence to the Val d' Aosta, 
and farther east passes into syenite. 

The descent is easy and agreeable 
from Riva to Mollia, where there is a 
fair inn. The valley, which is through- 
out its length very sinuous, here makes 
a sharp bend nearly due S. to Piode 
(no inn), passing through richly wooded 
scenery with no distant views. A 
short way farther the char-road, turn- 
ing N. of E., reaches Scopello (inn poor 
and dear), where the copper ore raised 
near Alagna and elsewhere in the 
valley is smelted. ' Chars may be 
obtained from Scopello to Varallo for 
7i fr.'— [M.] The next village is 
Scopa, with a clean inn, kept by Giu- 
seppe Topino. The vegetation in- 
creases in richness as the track reaches 
Balmuccia, at the junction of the Val 
Sermenta, or Val Piccola (Rte. I). 
Here the stream, which had flowed 
NE. for some miles, turns due E., and 
the valley gradually opens out as the 
traveller approaches 

Varallo ( Inns : Albergo d' Italia ; 
La Posta ; both good, the first rather 
more frequented by strangers, the 
second has the finer view ; Falcone 
Nero, a trattoria). The situation of 
this little town, at the junction of the 
Val Sesia with the Val Mastalone 
(Rte. L), and in the immediate neigh- 
bourhood of much beautiful scenery, 
suffices to render it attractive, but the 
main object of interest to most visitors 
is the Sacro Monte, a famous sanctuary 



founded in 1486, and adorned by the 
labours of many famous artists. It. is 
frequented either from piety or curi- 
osity by very many Italian visitors, 
but, besides the singularity of much that 
is here to be seen, the paintings have 
considerable interest to the lover of art. 

The hill, now called Sacro Monte, is 
covered with a series of fifty chapels or 
oratories containing modelled groups of 
life size, painted and clothed, represent- 
ing events nearly all taken from the 
New Testament. The majority are of 
no importance as works of art, but 
some of them, painted by Gaudenzio 
Ferrari and his pupils, are extremely 
interesting. The chapels are numbered, 
and those best worth examination are: 
5. The appearance of the Star in the 
East. 17. Transfiguration. 38. The 
Crucifixion. The paintings on the 
walls and ceiling of the latter chapel 
are considered the best works of 
Gaudenzio Ferrari. 

Other works of importance by the 
same master are the frescoes which 
cover the screen between the choir and 
the nave in the church of St. Francesco 
at the foot of the Sacro Monte, and 
an altarpiece in the Church of St. 
Gaudenzio. 

Varallo stands upon true granite, 
which forms a band extending N. to 
the head of the Val Bagnola. and SSW. 
to Biella (Rte. K). Out-lying masses 
of the same rock are seen in the well- 
known sites of Mont Orfano and the 
Motterone near the Lago Maggiore. 

The most frequented way, and de- 
servedly so, for those travelling E. or S. 
from Varallo is by the lake of Orta 
(Rte. L). A more direct and easy, 
and, for the first part of the way, a 
very beautiful route, is to follow the 
carriage-road along the Sesia due S. to 
Borgo Sesia, about 7 m., then amidst 
richly wooded slopes, picturesque with 
churches and ruined castles, 8 m. 
farther to Romagnano. Here the river 
Sesia enters the plain of Piedmont and 
flows to Vercelli. The high-road goes 
direct to Novara, at the junction of the 
railways to Turin, Milan, Genoa (by 



318 



PENNINE ALPS. § 20. 



MONTE ROSA DISTRICT. 



Alessandria), and Arona on the Lago 
Maggiore. An omnibus runs twice 
daily from Varallo to Novara. Those 
-who travel by it see little or nothing 
of the country. 

Between Borgo Sesia and Romagna- 
no the road lies between porphyritic 
rocks, in which masses of jurassic lime- 
stone, and marine tertiary molasse are 
strangely intermixed. 



Route F. 

ZERMATT TO VOGOGNA, BY THE "WEISS 
THOR, AND THK VAL ANZASCA. 

It is certain that a passage across 
the head of the Gorner Glacier, and 
down the face of the rocks which form 
the W. enclosure of the Macugnaga 
Glacier, was long ago known to some 
of the people of Zermatt. Damatter, 
an old chamois- hunter, remembered by 
the early visitors to Zermatt, had fre- 
quently crossed it, but he assured the 
writer in 1845 that the pass had be- 
come impracticable owing* to the accu- 
mulation of ice overhanging the rocks 
whereby the descent was formerly 
made. It is certain that the old pass lay 
somewhere between the Cima de Jazi 
and the base of the Nord End, and 
equally certain that notwithstanding 
the above statement of Damatter the 
pass from the Gorner Glacier to the 
head of the Filar Glacier was effected at 
or about the same point as the old pas- 
sage by Adolph Schla°intweit in 1851. 
From that time the old route seems to 
have been abandoned until 1861, when 
Mr. F.F. Tuckett made the ascent from 
the E. side, by the Jazi Glacier and the 
rocks above it, and some weeks later 
Professor Tyndall achieved another 
passage from the Macugnaga Glacier. 
They selected different routes, Mr. 
Tyndall haviii£ mounted by a couloir 
above the Filar Glacier, and there is 
reason to think that neither followed 
the exact line of the old pass, while 
both of them encountered such serious 



difficulties as to make their example 
unfit for general imitation. Except as 
r, matter of curiosity to an adventurous 
mountaineer, the old Weiss Thor may 
now be considered as closed to travel- 
lers. The height of the ridge where 
passed by Schlagintweit is about 
11,800 ft., while Mr. Tuckett's pass is 
11,976 ft. in height. 

As early as 1845 there was a report 
that another pass by the N. side of the 
Cima de Jazi had been found by some 
chamois -hunter, and the pass now 
known as the New Weiss Thor was cer- 
tainly effected in 1850 by two English 
travellers, the Rev. Edmund Docker 
and Mr. J. Eardiey Black well, although 
its discovery has been generally attri- 
buted to Professor Ulrich in 1852. It 
lies but a short way N. of the Cima 
de Jazi, so that by starting early from 
the Riffel, there is ample time to 
enjoy the view from that summit be- 
fore making the descent to Macugnaga. 
See Rte. A, Excursion 2. 

The following description of the 
pass, from the pen of the present writer, 
is for the most part extracted from 
' Murray's Handbook.' 

After skirting the NW. base of the 
Cima de Jazi. or on descending from it, 
if the traveller should be tempted by 
clear weather to make the ascent, he 
will reach a slight depression in the 
ridge connecting it with the Strahlhorn. 
After ascending for a short distance on 
the N. side of this depression — 
11,851 ft. above the sea — a point is 
reached where in two*or three steps 
the scene is changed as if by enchant- 
ment. Instead of toiling over a snow- 
field, with no object visible save 
boundless fields of neve and occasional 
black rocks, the traveller on gaining 
the E. edge of the ridge finds himself 
on a narrow ledge of rock apparently 
overhanging a precipice. On the N. 
or left-hand side this terminates in a 
projecting buttress only a few yards 
distant ; in the opposite direction the 
precipitous wall on whose summit he 
is standing is seen to extend far to the 
southward, until it is united to the 



ROUTE F. — THE WEISS THOR. 



319 



tremendous eastern face of Monte Rosa. 
The highest intervening summit is that 
of the Cima de Jazi, not more than 
700 ft. higher than where he stands. 
The precipice terminates only a few feet 
from the summit of the Cima; and 
there, and in many other places, the 
thick layer of snow which coats the 
top of the ridge is seen to form an 
overhanging cornice that might be 
easily broken away by the weight of 
an unwary traveller. Looking down- 
ward, if the valley below be clear, the 
traveller sees the lower end of the 
Macugnaga Glacier, about 6,000 ft. 
below him, appearing so near that a 
stone flung from the hand might reach 
it. It far more commonly happens, 
even in fine weather, that a sea of 
cloud hangs like a pall between the 
valley below and the spectator. Lying, 
as they do, some thousands of feet 
below him, he supposes the clouds to 
fill the valley, while the people of 
Macugnaga, seeing clouds three or four 
thousand feet above their heads, ima- 
gine that they cover the mountain tops. 
The single point at which the edge of 
the precipice is conveniently reached 
is often selected by the guides as a 
halting-place for luncheon. The ad- 
joining rocks afford a home to a few 
flowering plants ; e, g., Androsace gla~ 
cialis, Eritrichium nanum, Geniiana 
brachyphylla, and Saxifraqa pJanifolia. 
This is one of the highest stations at 
which flowering plants have been 
found in the Alps. However unin- 
viting the appearance of the precipice 
may be, even to mountaineers, it is 
quite possible to descend directly from 
this point, but the guides seldom choose 
that course. The rocks are excessively 
steep, and there are one or two points 
that are scarcely safe, except to prac- 
tised cragsmen. The usual course is to 
ascend along the ridge for a few yards 
farther to the N., until a few projecting 
rocks are reached. At this point the 
great wall connecting Monte Rosa and 
the Strahlhorn, along the top of which 
the track has hitherto lain, is joined by 
a transverse ridge running in an easterly 



direction, and forming in this place the 
boundary between Switzerland and 
Italy. This transverse ridge is much 
lower than the wall against which it 
abuts, and at the point of junction it is 
united by a steep buttress of rock 
partly coated with snow and ice. It is 
by this buttress that the pass of the 
New Weiss Thor is usually effected. 
The N. side looks towards Saas, and 
overhangs the Schwarzberg Glacier, 
which descends near to the Distel Alp. 
The S. side of the buttress faces the 
Macugnaga Glacier. It is by the N. 
side that the first part of the descent is 
made, along some very steep but not 
dangerous faces of rock. There is good 
holding-ground for hands and feet. 
After about a quarter of an hour the 
chief apparent difficulty of the pass is 
encountered. This is an extremely 
steep ridge of snow, sometimes frozen 
hard, along the edge of which the de- 
scent lies. With good guides, and pro- 
per use of the rope, there is no danger. 

At the foot of this are some steep 
rocks with snow between them. The 
track now takes to the Macugnaga side 
of the ridge, and the remainder of the 
descent is alternately over rocks, piles 
of debris, and snow-slopes which are 
sometimes favourable for a glissade. 
Here the rope, which ought to have 
been in use since reaching the neve of 
the upper part of the Gorner Glacier, 
may be laid aside, and the remainder 
of the descent presents no difficulties. 
From 9 to 10 hrs. (according to the 
state of the snow) should be allowed 
for reaching Macugnaga from the Riffel 
Hotel, exclusive of halts. At least an 
hour more should be allowed in taking 
the pass from Macugnaga to the Riffel, 
which involves a much longer and 
steeper ascent. Clouds often gather 
round the summit, and the services of 
a thoroughly experienced guide are 
essential. [From the foot of the arete 
it is easy to reach the Schwarzberg 
Glacier, and so descend into the valley 
of Saas, a little above the inn at the 
Mattmark See. (See Rte. N.)] 

On reaching the level of the valley 



320 



PENNINE ALPS. § 20. 



MONTE ROSA DISTRICT. 



just below the end of the Macugnaga 
Glacier, the torrent of the Anza which 
issues from it at several places is 
crossed to the L bank, and in less than 
an hour the traveller reaches 

Macugnaga, the highest village in 
the Val Anzasca, 4,369 ft. above the 
sea. There is a very fair little inn, 
Hotel du Mont Moro, chez Gaspard, 
near the bridge, and another very 
rough and primitive, Zum Monte Rosa, 
kept by Franz Lochmatter, the best 
guide of the valley. Many mountaineers 
have patronised the latter out of regard 
to the owner, who is much liked by his 
employers, but his attentions and those 
of his wife scarcely make up for the 
numerous deficiencies of his house to 
those who remain for more than one 
night. There is as yet no accommoda- 
tion worthy of the position of the village 
at the head of the most beautiful valley 
in the Alps. Mules are kept here, but 
not always in numbers equal to the 
demand. Ladies crossing the Monte 
Moro from Saason foot, and intending 
to continue their journey on mule- 
back, should, if possible, order mules in 
advance. By whatever route a traveller 
may reach Macugnaga he should not 
fail to visit the Macugnaga Glacier, 
and he will not do wisely if he does not 
devote a whole day to the enjoyment 
of a scene which is probably unequalled 
in the world. 

The best plan is to make a circuit, so 
as to vary the point from which the 
glacier and the great ranges that en- 
close it are beheld. In approaching 
the glacier from Macugnaga the travel- 
ler has before him the precipices on 
either side of the Cima de Jazi. and, 
seen from here, the various points 
at which the passage to Zermatt has 
been effected will all appear nearly 
equally inaccessible. Mounting along 
the rt. bank of the Anza, and cross- 
ing the stream near the foot of the 
glacier, he will first ascend a steep 
rocky eminence, called the Belvedere, 
wliich breaks the descending ice-stream, 
and divides its lower end into two 
branches. This grand point of view is 



accessible by mules in 2 hrs. from the 
village, and ladies usually content them- 
selves with this portion of the excur- 
sion. The traveller should now cross 
the W. arm of the glacier, and ascend 
from its 1. bank to the Chalets of Jazi, 
at the base of the Cima. He should 
then continue along the slope to the 
Chalets of Filar, the highest on this 
side, at the foot of the Filar Glacier, 
which descends from the rid^e between 
the Nord End and the Old Weiss Thor. 
Crossing a steep moraine, he should 
now return to the glacier, here much 
crevassed, and make his way towards 
its head, immediately under the vast 
wall, rising almost vertically for 8.000 
ft., which is surmounted by the Hochste 
Spitze and the Nord End. The usual 
limit of the excursion is near to a 
waterfall — fed by the snow- slopes that 
cling here and there to the face of the 
precipice — which disappears in a chasm 
in the ice. The monotonous roar of 
the cataract is broken from time to time 
by the thunder of avalanches. Language 
is incompetent to give any idea of the 
grandeur of the scene. 

Returning, and bearing towards the 
E. moraine, the glacier is lefc near the 
Chalets of Pedriolo, at the base of the 
Pizzo Bianco, the beautiful peak, con- 
nected by a high ridge with the Monte 
delle Loccie, which forms the E. side of 
the great amphitheatre. The enormous 
size of the blocks that cover the lower 
slopes near the chalets excite wonder. 
It has not been shown whether they 
have fallen from the Pizzo Bianco, or 
been transported by ice from the ridges 
enclosing the head of the glacier. A 
very rough and steep path leads along 
the mountain side,' for the most part 
high above the glacier, and finally de- 
scends to Macugnaga. The whole ex- 
cursion need not occupy more than 8 
or 9 hrs., but it is a better plan to take 
provisions, and give along day to scenes 
that, when viewed under favourable cir- 
cumstances, can never be forgotten. 

The ascent of the Pizzo Bianco, long 
ago made by Saussure, must be one of 
the most interesting in the Alps, and 



ROUTE F. PONTE GRANDE. 



321 



should be oftener repeated by moun- 
taineers who are fortunate enough to 
enjoy clear weather. 

Moderate walkers, who object to risk 
and fatigue, should not fail to ascend 
the Monte Moro (Rte. N), even though 
they do not intend to cross the chain 
into Switzerland. The view is scarcely 
surpassed even in this neighbourhood, 
and in returning to Macugnaga it remains 
constantly before the traveller's eyes. 

In descending the Val Anzasca from 
Macugnaga the traveller has the disad- 
vantage of turning his back upon Monte 
Rosa, which at intervals comes into 
view; but the near scenery is through- 
out so beautiful that it fully engages his 
attention ; and, if he be wise enough 
not to hurry, he may halt at intervals 
to enjoy the wonderful views of the 
great mountain. The first of these is 
found at Borca, about lj hr. below 
Macugnaga. The comfortable little 
inn formerly open here has been closed 
since the owners moved down the val- 
ley to Van zone. So far the population 
is German. For a few miles farther it 
appears to be mixed, and lower down it 
is exclusively Italian. 

Pestarena (Inn : Albergodelle Miniere, 
fair and reasonable), about h hr. below 
Borca, is a poor-looking village with a 
mining population. Gold, associated 
with iron pyrites, is found here in quan- 
tities which repay the working, and this 
is one of the few spots in Europe where 
it has been continuously extracted for 
centuries, apparently since the time of 
the Romans. After descending along 
the 1. bank the path crosses the Anza, 
and soon begins to ascend a rocky hill 
which appears to bar the valley. This 
is called the Morgen, and has proved a 
serious obstacle to the construction of a 
char-road up to the mines. The Anza 
forces its way through an impracticable 
ravine, while the mule-path, after mount- 
ing some way, descends more steeply 
on the E. side of the barrier, and at its 
base returns to the rt. bank of the 
stream, near the hamlet of Campiolo, 
In the early summer the beautiful Saxi- 
fraga cotyledon is plentiful on the rocks 



hereabouts. A short distance farther 
is Prequartero. A path descends here 
from a lateral valley to the 1., which 
leads from the valley of Saas (Rte. N) 
by a pass said to be rather shorter and 
easier than that of Monte Moro. As 
it misses the grand scenery of that rte. 
it is never taken by tourists. From 
hence a char-road is open to Ponte 
Grande. A view of the E. face of 
Monte Rosa combined with a new fore- 
ground, but always surpassingly grand, 
opens out before reaching Ceppo Morelli 
a small hamlet with a poor inn. The 
near scenery increases in richness, and 
the view of Monte Rosa in grandeur, as 
the traveller, in about 3 J hrs. from 
Macugnaga, finds, at 2,284 ft. above the 
sea, the principal village of the valley, 

Vanzone (Inns : H des Chasseurs, 
pretty well kept by Albasini, formerly 
of Borca ; Sole ; Moro). Two churches 
connected together are well worth a 
visit. It is hard to say that anything is 
wanting to complete the beauty of the 
Val Anzasca. Monte Rosa remains 
constantly in the background, unsur- 
passed in the boldness of its form and 
the vastness of its proportions. The 
middle distance presents mountain 
ridges of varied form, clothed with pine 
forest, or broken into rocky masses. 
The vegetation of northern Italy is in 
the foreground, rich with chestnuts, and 
vines, and fig-trees, and all the accesso- 
ries are characteristically Italian. In- 
stead of small, dark, wooden houses, 
grouped round the pointed spire of a 
village church, we have here massive 
buildings in solid masonry, brilliantly 
white, and nearly all covered, within 
and without, with rude frescoes ; and 
the square campanile marks from a dis- 
tance the village place of worship. Two 
m. from Vanzone is 

Ponte Grande (Inn • Albergo al Ponte 
Grande, a large house with some good 
rooms, improved of late years, but often 
noisy ; ' good, but people very tricky.' — 
F. J. H., 1860.) The village took its 
name from a high arch that spanned 
the Anza, which was carried away 
some years ago ; it has been replaced 



322 



PENNINE ALPS. § 20. 



MONTE ROSA DISTRICT. 



by a wooden bridge. The Val Olloccia 
(Rte. I) from the S. here joins the main 
valley, and the village of Banio, on the 
S. side of the Anza, stands on rising 
grounds, amidst fine chestnut trees, 
close to the junction. 

A day or more may well be given to 
a halt here, or at Vanzone. 

The road to Vogogna, which is about 
9 m. distant, and maybe reached in 1^ 
hr. in a carriage, is carried along the N. 
side of the valley, at first near the bank 
of the Anza, and gradually rising to a 
great height above the stream. A short 
way below Ponte Grande the torrent 
issuing from Val Bianca forms a 
pretty waterfall, and some «ray farther 
the road passes Calasca, said to have a 
tolerable inn. On the S. side of the 
valley is seen the opening of Val Ser- 
piano, leading to the Val Strona (Rte. 
M). About 5 m. from Ponte Grande 
is Castiglione (1,720'), with a country 
inn. Beyond the village the traveller, 
once again looking back, may see the 
view of Monte Rosa in great perfection, 
and soon begins to descend rapidly, 
passing through two short tunnels. The 
hamlet of Cima di M ulera is left on the 
way, and the road issues into the Val 
d'Ossola at Pie di Mulera. This vil- 
lage is little more than I m. from 
Vogogna, on the high-road of the Sim- 
plon, which is reached by crossing the 
ferry over the Toccia (§ 21, Rte. A). 
A road turning to the 1. at Pie di Mu- 
lera soon joins the great road, and leads 
in about 7 m. — rather less than 15 m. 
from Ponte Grande — to Domo d'Oss >la. 

The passes from Ponte Grande to the 
Val Sesia and to Orta are described in 
Rtes. I, L, and M. 



Route G. 

TOUR OF MONTE ROSA, BY THE HIGH 
GLACIER PASSES. 

By choosing a wider or a narrower 
circle round Monte Rosa, a traveller 
may completely change the character 



of the scenery through which he will 
pass in making the tour of the moun- 
tain, and in the same degree vary the 
difficulty of the undertaking. Suppos- 
ing the Col delle Loccie to be constantly 
passable, the circuit from Zermatt may 
be made by the series of passes included 
in the present rte. in 5 days, and can 
scarcely be equalled by any other con- 
tinuous rte. in the Alps, not excepting 
the ' High Level Rte.' from Zermatt to 
Chamouni. 

On the first day Macugnaga would 
be reached by the Weiss Thor, de- 
scribed in the last Rte.; the second day 
leads to Alagna, or the Pile Alp, by 
the Col delle Loccie ; the third, by the 
Col delle Piscie to the head of the Val 
de Lys ; the fourth, by the Betliner 
Pass, or the Betta Fnrke, to San Gia- 
como in the Val d'Ayas ; and the fifth, 
back to Zermatt by the Cimes Blanches 
and the Col de St. Theodule. Fine 
weather is indispensable for the first 
two and the last days' walk. The 
second and third days' journey may be 
much reduced by sleeping at the Pile 
xilp, nearly 2 hrs ' walk above Alagna, 
but some travellers will think the saving 
dearly purchased at the price of endur- 
ing chalet fare and sleeping quarters. 
A very active walker might doubtless 
combine the Col delle Piscie and the 
Betliner Pass in one day from the Pile 
Alp to San Giacomo, but accurate in- 
formation is wanting as to both passes. 

The Col delle Loccie, leading from 
Macugnaga to the head of the Val 
Sesia, was crossed for the first time in 
1862 by Messrs. W. E. Hall and J. A. 
Hudson, with Franz Lochmatter and 
his brother Alexander. Both are good 
guides, but disposed to set a high value 
on their services. The pass must be 
reckoned as first- rate, both for the 
grandeur of the scenery, and for diffi- 
culty. A short but very steep ice-slope 
close to the top, on the Macugnaga 
side, would be a serious obstacle to any 
one attempting the nass from Alagna, 
but with practised ice-men, and an 
ample supply of stout rope, it should 
not be insurmountable. 



KOUTE G. COL DELLE PISCIE. 



323 



Having reached the Chalet of Ped- 
riolo (Rte. F) in rather more than 2 
hrs., Messrs. Hall and Hudson com- 
menced the ascent over the upper and 
gently-sloping portion of the Macu- 
gnaga Glacier. 

Looking about due S., an arm of the 
glacier, cut up by numerous wide cre- 
vasses, leads to the ice-slope below the 
col. To the rt. are massive precipices 
of dark rock, seamed by couloirs in 
great part clear of snow. After ascend- 
ing as far as possible by the glacier, in 
4^ hrs. from Macuguaga, the party 
commenced the ascent of these rocks, 
having first traversed a rather difficult 
bergschrund. Irrespective of two short 
halts, 2j hrs. were consumed in climb- 
ing up this steep and difficult barrier. 
Above is a region of seracs, which was 
traversed in lj hr. more, and then 
another bergschrund defends the base 
of the final ice-slope. This is very- 
steep, the inclination being estimated at 
50° ; but 74 steps sufficed to reach some 
projecting rocks, separated by a few 
yards only from the summit of the pass. 

Some slight doubt remains whether 
the peak immediately to the E., and 
seemingly easy of access from the col, 
is the same with the Monte dclle Loccie 
laid down on most maps, and conspicu- 
ous from many points in the neighbour- 
ing ranges. It seems certainly to be 
the same with the Cima del Pisse of 
Studer's map, also called Cima del 
Pizzo, and it is generally believed that 
the three names are synonyms for 
one and the same summit. As the pass 
undoubtedly traverses the lowest point 
in the ridge connecting the Signal 
Kuppe with the Monte delle Loccie, 
the name Col delle Loccie, proposed by 
Mr. Hudson, seems unobjectionable. 
It was estimated, by comparison with 
the Weiss Thor, to be about 12,000 ft. 
in height. 

Notwithstanding a few troublesome 
crevasses, the descent of the branch of 
the Sesia Glacier, lying on the S. side 
of the col, was rapidly effected, and in 
little more than 1^- hr. of rapid pro- 
gress the travellers reached the highest I 

Y 



pastures. A little lower down they 
found a chalet, which might be turned 
to account by anyone attempting the 
pass from this side. Rather more than 
2| hrs. were employed in descending 
thence to Alagna. The chalets of the 
Pile Alp, at the junction of the stream 
from the Val d'Embours with that from 
the Sesia Glacier, might be reached in 
1<| hr. less time, and nearly 2 hrs. would 
thus be saved in the next day's jour- 
ney. 

The Col delle Piscie is the passage 
over the ridge extending S. from the 
Vincent Pyramide, which separates the 
Val d'Embours from the Indren and 
Garstelet Glaciers. At the top of 
the pass, which is 10.374 ft. in height, 
is a stone hut known as Vincent I liitte, 
originally built for the men engaged 
in working a supposed gold mine long 
since abandoned. It was occupied 
for fourteen days, in 1851, by the 
brothers Schlagintweit, while engaged 
in scientific observations, and is ad- 
mirably situated for an Alpine ob- 
servatory. On the Embours side the 
ascent is said to be steep and rather 
difficult; but on the W. side the Col 
delle Piscie is unusually easy of access, 
a mule-path, intended for the use of the 
miners, having been carried up to a 
large shed, 9,672 ft. in height, \ hr. 
below the col. Two small glaciers — 
Indren Glacier and Garstelet Glacier — 
lie on the S side of the Vincent Pyra- 
mide, and send down their streams to 
join the Lys about a mile below the 
chalet of Cour de Lys, already noticed 
in Rte. D, where a mountaineer may 
find tolerable quarters. A traveller 
bound from the Col delle Piscie to 
Gressonay, or to the Betta Furke, 
should follow the Lavez Bach, which 
unites the streams from both glaciers, 
but to reach Cour de Lys or the 
Betliner Pass it is better to cross the 
Salzia Furke direct to the foot of the 
Lys Glacier. A mountaineer, haviDg 
a few hours to spare at the head of 
the Val de Lys, may well occupy the 
time in making the ascent of the 
Telchenhorn, lying immediately E. of 
2 



824 



PENNINE ALPS. § 20. 



MONTE ROSA DISTRICT. 



the chalet, and commanding a very- 
fine view of the neighbouring glaciers. 
The summit may be reached in 2 hrs. 
It is sometimes visited from Gressonay, 
but is not so interesting as the Grau- 
haupt (Rte. H). 

It is probable that the shortest way 
in time from the Cour de Lys to San 
Giacomo d'Ayas is by the Betta Burke. 
This is reached by a glen opening to 
the W. from the Yal de Lys, about J hr. 
below the chalet. An ascent of about 
l^hr. suffices to reach a small oratory, 
with a fine view of the snowy chain to 
the N., and about as much more to gain 
the summit of the pass, said to be 8,862 ft. 
in height ; but, as the writer believes, 
this is an over-estimate. Several clusters 
of chalets are passed in descending to 
San Giacomo (Rte. C), where tolerably 
good quarters are now found. The 
village may, by this route, be reached in 
5 hrs. from Cour de Lys, or in 7 hrs. 
from Gressonay. 

The Betliner Pass lies farther N. 
than the Betta Furke, and apparently 
offers a more direct communication be- 
tween the head of the Vai de Lys and 
that of the Val d'Ayas, but no infor- 
mation respecting it has reached the 
editor. 

San Giacomo stands near the junction 
of the torrent from the A} as Glacier 
(Rte. C), with that from the Aventina 
Glacier, lying farther W., on the S. 
slope of the Breithorn. The snowy 
range extending SSTT. from the Petit 
Mont Cervin, and known by the general 
name Cimes Blanches, must be crossed 
in order to reach Zermatt by the glacier 
and col of St. Theodule. It would ap- 
pear that the same course is not always 
taken by the guides, and the pass is so 
ill defined that it would be very impru- 
dent for a stranger to cross it without 
one. A traveller must not, however, 
count on finding competent guides at 
San Giacomo; and in making the tour 
sketched out in the present route, it is 
assumed that he is accompanied by, at 
least, one first-rate guide who has had 
previous experience in the district. 

A very active walker gives the fol- 



lowing distances from San Giacomo to 
Zermatt : — * San Giacomo to Cimes 
Blanches, 3|- hrs., the first half-hour 
being the steepest and hardest : Cimes 
Blanches to St. Theodule Pass, 1 j hr. : 
St. Theodule to Zermatt, 2\ hrs.' The 
time required varies, of course, with 
the state of the snow; but an ordinary 
walker, under ordinary circumstances, 
may safely add one- fourth to the above 
reckoning. Rather more than half- 
way to the summit the traveller passes 
the chalets of Aventina, and in about 
^ hr. more reaches the neve. In cross- 
ing here without a rope, the Syndic of 
Gressonay was lost in a concealed cre- 
vasse in 1852. Having managed to 
scramble up close to the edge of the 
crevasse, the ice gave way a second 
time, and the unfortunate man fell so 
deep that, though men were let down 
with long ropes, his body was never 
seen again. 

* The approach to the Col de St. 
Theodule from the Cimes Blanches is 
much harder than from Breuil, or from 
the Zermatt side; the last pull being up 
a very steep snow-slope for 25 min. 
At the same time, the views are incom- 
parably grander, and to anyone coming 
from the SE. to Zermatt this combina- 
tion of the t wo passes saves a day with- 
out involving a very hard day's work.' 
—[J. R. KL] 



Route H. 

VALTOURNANCHE TO MACUGNAGA, BY 
THE MIDDLE PASSES. 

A traveller wishing to make the tour 
of the Italian valleys of Monte Rosa 
may choose an intermediate course be- 
tween the somewhat, arduous passes 
mentioned in the last Rte., and the 
easier and more frequented paths de- 
scribed in Rte. I, and in four days of 
very moderate walking may include 
much of the most beautiful scenery of 
this district. Starting from the "W. 
end of the circuit, the first pass may be 
taken either from Chatillon or Breuil, 



ROUTE H. COL DE PINTA. 



325 



according as the traveller may happen 
to approach from Aosta or Zermatt; 
but it is most easily made from the vil- 
lage of Valtournanche (Rte. B), and it 
would he possible, though not advisable, 
for an active walker to cross the Col 
de Portola and the Col de Pinta in a 
single day, so as to reach Gressonay at 
nignt. 

To reach the Col de Portola from 
Valtournanche the traveller descends 
the valley for a short distance along the 
1. bank of the stream, and soon takes a 
path to the L, which oefore long begins 
to ascend through a wood. This splits 
up into numerous tracks, and a guide 
here is almost indispensable. The 
true path keeps a general direction 
nearly parallel to the main valley, 
mounting a little E. of S., along steep 
ledges of rock, until it gains a point 
about 2,000 ft. above the stream, whence 
the greater part of the beautiful Val 
Tournanche is seen backed by the peak 
of the Matterhorn,andthe range extend- 
ing S. from the Chateau des Dames. 
Quitting the verge of the mountain side, 
the path now bears SE., across Alpine 
pastures, and before long reaches the vil- 
lage of Chamois ( 6,004'). A rather long 
but gentle ascent leads thence to the 
summit of the pass, 7,995 ft. in height, 
lying across a ridge of limestone rock 
that steeply overhangs the valley and 
village of Ayas. Though rapid, the 
descent is quite free from difficulty. If 
solicitous for comfort, the traveller will 
descend the valley for hr. to Brus- 
sone (Rte. C), but it is said that tolera- 
ble accommodation for the night may 
now be had at Ayas, or a little higher 
up the valley, at Champolien. 

At the last-named hamlet commences 
the ascent to the Colde Pinta. This leads 
across the range separating the valleys 
of Ayas and Lys, immediately to the 
S. of the Grauhaupt. The pass may he 
effected in 6 hrs. , or even less ; hut a 
traveller, favoured by tolerable weather, 
should not omit the ascent of the ad- 
joining peak which commands the finest 
view of the S. side of Monte Rosa. 
The greater part of the ascent from 



Champolien to the Col is easy enough, 
commanding at intervals fine views of 
the Matterhorn, but after about 3 hrs. 
the way becomes steep, and difficult to 
find. It lies along the L bank of a 
waterfall, and in £ hr. farther leads to 
the crest of the Col. The summit is 
probably about 8,200 ft. in height. It 
has a wide view to the W. which in- 
cludes Mont Blanc and the higher 
peaks of the Cottian Alps, but is shut 
out from Monte Rosa by the adjoining 
peak of the Grauhaupt, or Graues Haupi, 
which may be attained in 2 hrs. The 
ascent is rough, lying in great part 
over and amidst large loose blocks; but 
except close to the top, where the rocks 
become very steep, it presents no diffi- 
culty. The height is 11,031 ft., over- 
topping all the nearer summits, and the 
panorama is one of the finest on the S. 
side of the Alps. Campanula cenisia, 
Eritrichium nanum, Linaria. Afpina, Ca- 
rex curvula, and a few other flowering 
plants, have been found close to the 
summit. 

The descent from the Col de Pinta 
towards the Val de Lys is easy and 
practicable for mules. In less than an 
hour, following at first the bank of an 
Alpine rivulet, the track reaches the 
highest chalet, and in | hr. more 
arrives at a larger establishment in the 
midst of fine pastures. The last part 
of the descent is steeper ; the path is 
carried down the 1. side of a waterfall, 
joining, in about 2 hrs. from the 
col, the main path from Noversch to 
Gressonay St. Jean, about § hr. above 
the latter village. In taking the path 
from Gressonay, at least 3 hrs. should 
be allowed for the ascent to the Col, 
and about 2f hrs. for the descent to 
the Val d'Ayas. 

Visitors to Gressonay should on no 
account omit the ascent of the Grau- 
haupt if favoured by moderately favour- 
able weather. Mountaineers who do 
not fear a stiff scramble will find it 
more interesting to make the ascent by 
the E. end of the mountain over- 
hanging the Val de Lys, and to reach 
the summit partly along the shattered 



326 



PENNINE ALPS. § 20. 



MONTE ROSA DISTRICT. 



ridge, partly along the ledges of its S. 
face: they can return by the Col de 
Pinta. The bouquetin still haunted 
this range in 1840. The range sepa- 
rating the valleys of Ayas and Lys 
is passable at many points, but the 
path of the Col de Pinta is the most 
interesting, while the Col de Ranzola 
(Rte. I) is the easiest pass. 

The traveller, following the line of 
the so-called Middle Passes, will do 
best to select the Col d'Ollen for his 
route from Gressonay to Alagna. 

This very beautiful pass is practi- 
cable for mules, though it is expedient 
to dismount for part of the descent on 
the E. side. Mules take 8 hrs. ex- 
clusive of halts, but an active walker 
may gain an hour on four-footed beasts 
over such rough ground. 

On leaving Gressonay the way lies 
up the valley for hr. to San Giacomo. 
Here a track bears to the rt., and mounts 
in 1| hr. more through very beautiful 
scenery to a small tarn called the 
Gabiet See, near to which are several 
chalets where milk may be obtained, 
and then a steeper ascent leads in less 
than 2 hrs. more to the crest of the 
pass, 9,544 ft. in height. The view 
here is already very fine, but in clear 
weather the traveller should not fail 
to reach the summit of the Gemstein, 
but half an hour's climb from the pass, 
and commanding a view of the nearer 
peaks of the great range, preferable 
even to that from the Grauhaupt. The 
range separating the head of the Val 
de Lys from that of the Val Sesia, 
though lofty, is easily traversed in 
various directions, and it is said that 
from the Col d'Ollen it is not difficult 
to reach the Val d'Embours and the 
Pile Alp on one side, or the track de- 
scending to the Cour de Lys on the W. 
side of the Col delle Piscie (Rte. G). 
It is in the same degree easy to lose the 
way in case of clouds coming on, and 
except in the finest weather the moun- 
taineer should not attempt this pass 
without a guide. 

The descent from the Col d'Ollen to 
Alagna is for some time very steep. 



About If hr. from the top is the 
chalet of Laglietto, and the way con- 
tinues down the mountain direct to the 
village of Alagna, reached in 3 hrs. 
from the summit. In the opposite 
direction 4 hrs. are allowed to attain 
the pass, 2j hrs. for the descent to the 
Val de Lys, and 1 J hr. more to reach 
Gressonay. 

Tii ere is a more direct way from 
Gressonay to Alagna by the Cold? Oltro: 
information respecting it is desired. 
It is not likely that it can rival in point 
of scenery the Col d'Ollen. 

The traveller wishing to go in one 
day from Alagna to Macugnaga, and 
not prepared to attempt the Col delle 
Loccie (Rte. G) from this side, which 
must at the best be a very difficult 
undertaking, has no choice but to 
proceed by the Turlo Pass. This is a 
somewhat tedious, and, by comparison 
with the grand scenery of this district, 
an uninteresting pass. In the writer's 
opinion, its defects are comparative 
rather than positive, and there is quite 
enough to engage the attention by the 
way, and to satisfy a contented spirit. 
Those travellers, however, who are not 
much pressed for time, will do well to 
turn aside at Alagna from the line of 
the Middle Passes and reach the lower 
part of the Val Anzasca at Ponte 
Grande by one or other of the beautiful 
lateral valleys described in Rte. I, or 
else to follow either of the tracks there 
mentioned leading from Rima or Car- 
coforo to Macugnaga. 

The Turlo Pass is longer but not 
quite so high as the Col d'Ollen, and 
the same time may be allowed for 
each : this is, however, impassable for * 
mules. The path ascending the valley 
along the stream is followed from Alagna, 
till in nearly one hr. it crosses to the 
1. bank, leaving on the opposite side 
the track along the base of the StafFel- 
berg leading to the Pile Alp, and soon 
begins to mount the slope to the rt. 
with grand views of the Signal Kuppe 
and the Parrot Spitze, rising above the 
Sesia Glacier. The ascent is rough 
and stony, especially when, after pass- 



ROUTE I. AOSTA 



TO PONTE GRANDE. 



32? 



ing some very miserable huts, the 
track -winds round a dreary hollow 
in the mountains, and in about 4 hrs. 
from Alagna gains the Col, marked by 
a cross. The top 9,088 ft. in height, is 
a very sharp ridge of crystalline slate, 
shut out from the view of Monte Rosa 
by the Monte delle Loccie, which is 
itself a fine object. From a rocky 
point in the ridge to the rt., the Lago 
Maggiore and the Tessin Alps are 
visible. The descent on the NE. side 
is for some distance rather steep. 
After crossing some snow-slopes the 
faintly marked track winds to the I., 
but the mountaineer may shorten the 
way, taking some care of the slippery 
grass and rhododendron bushes that 
ciothe the declivity of the mountain. 
A long descent finally lands the traveller 
at the head of the Val 'Quarazza, and 
looking back he finds himself sur- 
rounded by a semicircular range in 
which tiers of rock alternate with 
green slopes. The track descends 
gently through the lower part of the 
glen, amid pleasing scenery, to Borca 
(Rte. F), reached in 2j hrs. from the 
pass, and about \ hr. higher up the 
main valley is Macugnaga. There is 
a track turning to the 1. above the 
junction of the Val Quarazza with the 
Anza, and avoiding Borca. which 
shortens the way to Macugnaga. 



Route I. 

AOSTA TO PONTE GRANDE, BY THE 
LOWER PASSES. 

The tour described in this Rte. is in 
great part a frequented line, now 
traversed every year by numerous 
tourists. As it is that most generally 
followed by unambitious travellers who 
wish to connect a visit to Courmayeur 
with the easily accessible parts of the 
Monte Rosa district, it has been thought 
convenient to include in this Rte. the 
entire line from Aosta to Ponte Grande. 
Assuming that the traveller adheres 
to the easier mule-track first described, 



not less than four days must be allowed 
between those places ; but by using one 
or other of the passes connecting the 
upper Val Sesia with the Val Sermenta, 
the distance might be brought within 
the compass of three days' journey. 
It is scarcely necessary to say that 
a judicious traveller will, when possible, 
give at least double that time to a 
route which traverses some of the 
most beautiful scenery of our continent. 
Tolerable accommodation is now found 
at many places on the way. The 
following distances are approximately 
correct : — 

Hrs.' walking Eng. miles 



Chatillon . 


4i 

*2 


15 


Brussone . 


3 


9 


Gressonay 


4 


11 


Riva. 


& 


15 


Mollia 


2 


6 


Scopa 


3 


9 


Rimasco . 


3 


9 


Carcot'oro. 




5 


Cold'Egua 


i» 


5 


Ponte Grande . 


4 


10 




"334 


94 



The high-road from Aosta to Cha- 
tillon is hot and dusty, and few tra- 
vellers pass it on foot. Those who 
hire a vehicle may best arrange to take 
it to St. Vincent, 2 m. beyond Chatillon, 
where the path to Brussone turns off 
from the high-road; and by starting in 
good time they may easily reach 
Gressonay before sunset. About 2 m. 
from Aosta the Chateau de Quart 
stands in a commanding position on the 
N. side of the valley, and the pedestrian 
may turn aside to enjoy the fine view, 
and return to the high-road near to 
Villefranche, without much loss of time. 
About 7 m. from Aosta is the opening 
of the Val de St. Barthelemi (§ 18, 
Rte. H), and a little beyond is the 
village of Nus. Nearly opposite is St. 
Marcel, at the opening of the Val de 
St. Marcel, a glen leading up to the 
Punta di Tersiva, one of the principal 
peaks of the Cogne Alps. A little 
farther E. is the castle of Fenis, and 
beyond it to the S. opens another 
valley bearing the same name. The 
next village on the high-road is Cham- 
bave, which gives its name to a wine of 



328 



PENNINE ALPS. § 20, MONTE ROSA DISTRICT. 



some repute in Piedmont, and 3 m. I 
farther is Chatillon (Rte. B). At the 
baths of St. Vincent, 2 m. farther on, 
the mule-path to Brussone turns off to 
the L from the high-road, which here ! 
bends to SSE. For a while the magni- I 
ficent chestnut-trees screen the traveller 
from the hot sun, which beats upon j 
him with full force as he emerges ! 
on the slope of the mountain. As he j 
winds upwards the view along the Val 
d'Aosta becomes continually more com- 
manding, and at the little chapel of St. 
Grat he may well halt to enjoy the 
prospect, which lays before him the 
finest part of that beautiful valley for 
a length of more than 25 m., backed 
by the mass of Mont Blanc. Towards 
the summit of the Col de Jou the way 
lies over broad sweeps of rich pasture 
on the S. slope of the Mont Zerbion. 
The summit of this mountain, 9,003 
ft. in height, is said to command a 
noble view. It may be reached in 5 
hrs. from Chatillon, or in rather less 
time from St. Vincent, or from Brus- 
sone. 

A very gentle descent leads from the 
Col de Jou to Brussone (Rte. C), 
reached in 2j hrs. from St. Vincent, 
where there is now a good mountain 
inn, and where a day or two may well 
be spent in exploring the Val d'Ayas 
and the ranges that enclose it. "in 
ascending by the mule-track to the 
Col de Ranzola, leading to Gressonay, 
the traveller looks due S. over the 
lower part of the valley of the Evan- 
son, called Val Challant, terminating at 
Verrex, in the Val d'Aosta (Rte. B). 
Approaching the summit (7,136') an 
unexpected view of Mont Blanc is 
gained by looking back towards the W., 
but Monte Rosa, much closer at hand, 
is shut out by nearer masses. After 
descending some way on the E. side, a 
portion of that great mountain comes 
into view, and in the middle distance 
the village of Gressonay, set in a frame- 
work of green meadows, and pine 
forest, and rugged rocks, forms an ex- 
quisite picture. A still finer and more 
extensive view is obtained from a sum- 



mit called Pointe de Combetta, on the 
rt. of the path, and accessible in 1 hr. 
from the Col de Ranzola. Those who 
make the detour may find their way 
direct to Gressonay without returning 
to the mule-path. The descent from 
the col is in part rather steep, lying for 
some time through a pine-forest, and 
in 4 hrs. from Brussone the traveller 
reaches Gressonay (Rte. D). 

Travellers who fear to undertake the 
pass of the Col d'Ollen, described in 
the last Rte., will choose the e?si<T but 
less interesting way to the Val Sesia by 
the Col di Val Dobbia. The ascent to 
the col commences a little be.ow the 
village of Gressonay St. Jean, and is so 
well marked by a frequented mule-path 
that a guide is quite unnecessary. Ex- 
cept to the botanist, who will find a 
good many rare plants, the pass offers 
less of interest than most of those in 
this neighbourhood ; yet the views of 
the Val de Lys from the W. side, and 
that of Mont Blanc from the top of the 
Col, are very fine. There is a small 
stone house or hospice at the summit, 
8,250 ft. above the sea, where bread, 
eggs, and wine are to be had. On the 
E. side of the col the path traverses 
Alpine pastures and the remains of a 
pine forest before reaching a group of 
poor hovels, called St. Grato. The re- 
mainder of the descent lies along, or 
near to, the Macagno torrent, which in 
one place forms a fine waterfall. The 
glen narrows to a ravine before finally 
opening into the Val Sesia, close to the 
village of Riva (Rte. E). Going from 
W. to E., 3 j hrs. suffice for the ascent, 
and 1\ hrs. for the descent to Riva. In 
the opposite direction, 4 hrs. may be 
allowed to reach the Col, and 2 hrs. 
thence to Gressonay. Those who fol- 
low Rte. E down the Val Sesia may 
avoid Riva, joining the mule-track just 
below that poor village. 

The very beautiful track down the 
Val Sesia offers the easiest, though 
a circuitous, way for reaching the 
upper end of the Val Sermenta, and 
the passes leading to the Val Anzasca. 
A moderate walker may easilj push on 



ROUTE I. — COL DE MOUD. 



329 



from Gressonay to Mollia, avoiding the 
wretched inn at Riva, or even to Scopa, 
3 hrs. farther. About 2 m. below 
Seopa, at the hamlet of Balmuccia, is 
the junction of the Val Sermenta, with 
the Val Sesia. This is sometimes called 
Val Piccola, in contradistinction to 
the main valley, called Val Grande. 
The scenery of the lower part is ex- 
tremely beautiful. It is a narrow and 
tortuous glen, where trees, rocks, and 
Alpine torrents present in ceaseless 
variety the most exquisite pictures. A 
char- road has been for some time in 
progress. It is a walk of 2£ hrs. from 
Balmuccia — passing on the way the 
village of Buccioletto — to 

Rimasco, with a poor inn, where the 
traveller finds civility, but much dirt, 
and scanty provision for his support. 
Here the valley divides. The W. 
branch, noticed below, leads to Rima, 
while the way to Ponte Grande lies 
through the E. branch. The scenery 
continues very beautiful as far as Car- 
coforo, where the inn is rather better 
than at Rimasco. This is the highest 
village in the valley, and above it the 
slopes are bare, and the scenery rather 
tame. Mules take nearly 2j hrs. from 
Carcoforo to reach the summit of the 
Gol oVEgua (7,388')? the track being 
rather steep, but the trouble is repaid 
by a magnificent view of Monte Rosa, 
and the minor ranges that diverge from 
it. The view is still more extensive 
from a point about 10 min. E. of the 
col. A rapid descent leads NE. in 1 
hr. from the col to the Barranca Alp, 
This is reached close to the summit of 
the Barranca Pass (Rte. L), marked by 
a small oratory. The track here joins 
that leading from Fobello, in the Val 
Mastalone, to Ponte Grande. The 
Barranca Pass lies over an undulating 
plateau of Alpine pasture, and is but 
5,749 ft. in height. On approaching 
the N. slope there is a beautiful view 
over the Val Olloccia, a tributary of 
the Val Anzasca, through which this 
route lies. At various points in the de- 
scent Monte Rosa comes into view. 
The way is steep, and rather trouble- 



some for mules, and in places so ill- 
marked that it is easy to go astray. 
The Val Olloccia is reached in 1 hr. 
from the Barranca Pass. Much of the 
magnificent timber that clothed its 
slopes has of late years fallen before the 
axe. The track is carried along the 1. 
bank of the torrent to Banio, one of 
the chief villages in the Val Anzasca, 
most beautifully situated, but without 
an inn. It is a walk of but 15 min. 
hence to the bridge over the Anza, at 
Ponte Grande (Rte. F). 

A glance at the map will show that 
the route above described, involving the 
descent of the Val Sesia from Riva to 
Balmuccia, and the re-ascent of the Val 
Sermenta to Rimasco, requires a long 
detour. This should be no objection to 
those who have not already seen the 
beautiful scenery of those valleys ; but 
travellers who have already passed that 
way may be glad to vary their route by 
passing directly to the upper part of the 
Val Sermenta. This is particularly de- 
sirable for those who, having reached 
Alagna from Gressonay, and visited the 
grand scenery at the head of the Val 
Sesia, would reach the Val Anzasca by a 
more varied route than that of the Turlo 
Pass. Two passes lead from Alagna to 
Rimasco. The more direct of these, 
called Bocchetta d' Alagna, traverses the 
ridge S. of the peak of the Tagliaferro : 
information respecting it is desired. The 
other, probably easier, as it is more fre- 
quented, is called Col de Moud. This 
lies between the summits of the Moud- 
horn to N., and the Tagliaferro to SE. 
It is practicable for mules, but, as the 
way is rough, a pedestrian may pass in 
much less time. 

' Following the Val Sesia for a short 
distance above Alagna, the torrent is 
crossed to its 1. bank by either the first 
or second bridge. The path then takes 
to the hill, and zigzags up the 1. hand 
of two ravines, which are seen in front. 
Fine views of the summits of Monte 
Rosa from the Signal Kuppe to the 
Vincent Pyramide are disclosed on the 
1., and in about 1^- hr. after quitting 
Alagna the Chalets de Moud are 



330 



PENNINE ALPS. § 20. MONTE EOSA DISTRICT. 



reached. Excellent milk may be ob- 
tained here. The remainder of the 
route to the summit of the Col is com- 
paratively uninteresting, and may be 
easily accomplished in 1 hr.' — [F. F. T.] 

Mules take 3 hrs. to reach the sum- 
mit, which is 7,467 ft. in height. 

' The track leads down a snow-slope, 
beneath the rocks of the Tagliaferro, 
and on reaching the bottom the Val 
Sermenta is seen at a considerable depth 
below. Slopes of grass, interspersed 
with a rich growth of rhododendrons, 
are succeeded by a pine forest, through 
which the pretty path winds steeply 
down to Rima.'—[F. F. T.] 

An active pedestrian need not employ 
more than 1 nr., if so much, in the de- 
scent, but mules require 2 hrs. Rima 
is a very poor, dirty village, with a 
German population, while the rest of 
the Val Sermenta is peopled by Italians. 
It is the last village in the W. branch 
of that valley, and to reach Carccforo, 
at the head of the E. branch, it is 
necessary to'descend to their junction 
at Rimasco. This is a walk of nearly 
2 hrs., the Italian village of Rima San 
Giuseppe being nearly half-way. 

A traveller wishing to visit the Pile 
Alp (Rte. E) may enjoy the grand 
scenery at tbe head of the Val Sesia, 
and reach Rimasco on the same day, 
without redescending near to Alagna. 
From the lower part of the ascent to the 
Turlo Pass a little-used track bears to 
the rt., and mounts to the Col di Rima, 
lying on the N. side of the Moudhorn. 
This leads into the head of the Val 
Sermenta, a little above the village of 
Rima. 

Those who wish to reach Macugnaga 
directly from the Val Sesia may avail 
themselves of passes leading to that 
village from either branch of the Val 
Sermenta. The shortest and most in- 
teresting of these is by the Bocchetta 
di Carcoforo. The track diverges from 
the way to the Col d'Egua at the vil- 
lage of Carcoforo, \\ hrs. from Bal- 
muccia. ' The ascent from Carcoforo 
is very steep ; in ascending it takes more 
than 3 hrs. (in descending 2 hrs.) to 



reach the summit. This commands a 
magnificent view of Monte Rosa and 
the Saas Grat. In descending there is 
a faintly-marked track along a steep 
slope until an abandoned mine (gold ?) 
is reached. Below this the path descends 
into the short ' Val Qtiarazzola, a 
branch of, or rather a recess in, the Val 
Quarazza, down which descends the 
path from the Turlo.' — [M ] 

By this pass a traveller, starting early 
in a char for Balmuccia, may reach 
Macugnaga on the same day. Time 
from Balmuccia, fully 10 hrs.' steady 
walking, exclusive of halts. 

It is also possible to pass from Rima 
to the head of the Val Quarazza by a 
track which joins that of the Turlo 
(Rte. H). Further information as to 
most of the passes here noticed is much 
desired. 



Route K. 

IVREA TO ORTA, BY BIELLA. 

Tourists attracted by the grand 
scenery of the valleys radiating from 
the Italian side of Monte Rosa, have 
generally neglected the lower ranges 
that separate the plain of Piedmont 
from the ridges immediately con- 
nected with that great mountain. There 
is, however, ample room for interesting 
excursions among the exterior valleys 
of this region, which may well be visited 
at a season when the higher mountains 
are not easily accessible, or during in- 
tervals of bad weather, which is often 
confined to the immediate neighbour- 
hood of the snowy Alps. A few days 
may be much better spent by a moun- 
taineer amidst the beautiful scenery of 
the outer valleys of Piedmont, than in 
fretting in an Alpine inn, or plodding 
over a pass whose attractions are hid- 
den by clouds, rain, or fresh snow. The 
present route is suggested with the hope 
of hereafter obtaining further informa- 
tion respecting the district which it 
traverses. 

Ivrea (Rte. B) is not more than 10 



ROUTE K. — LAKE OF ORTA. 



331 



or 11 m. ia a direct line from Biella, 
but most of the routes commonly tra- 
velled are very circuitous. Both towns 
are connected by branch railways with 
the main line from Turin to Novara, 
but the trains are so arranged that 65 
hrs. at the least are consumed in going 
from one place to the other. There is 
a country road by Monyrande, hilly, 
but tolerably direct, which is the best 
way for those who want to save time. 
If the weather be not too hot, the most 
agreeable way is to walk along the 
lower slopes of the hills, diverging a 
little to visit the sanctuary of Graglia. 
This stands on an eminence overlook- 
ing the plain of Piedmont, and is said 
to afford excellent head-quarters for 
visiting the neighbouring district. A 
large number of rooms are available 
for the use of strangers, except on a 
few days in the year when pilgrims 
resort here, and all available space is 
occupied. Tolerably good food is sup- 
plied at a restaurant adjoining the sanc- 
tuary. About 4 m. from hence is 

Biella (Inns : Corona, best ; and 
several others), a thriving little town 
standing at the opening of the Val 
Andorno, whence the Cervo flows to 
join the Sesia, near Novara. The 
church of San Sebastiano deserves a 
visit. Travellers approaching Biella 
from Gressonay, or from the Val 
d'Aosta, may best avail themselves of 
one or other of the passes leading east- 
ward from the lower part of ihe Val de 
Lys (Rte- D). The southernmost of 
these is the Col de Corisey, between 
Lillianes and Graglia. A little farther 
N. is the Col de la Balma, leading from 
Fontainem.oire to the sanctuary of Oropa. 
This is about 6 m. NNW. of Biella, and, 
though at a considerable height, is 
reached by a good road. At certain 
times it is overcrowded with pilgrims. 
The church, containing some pictures 
by Gaudenzio Ferrari and Luini, is 
curious. The arrangements for receiv- 
ing guests here are similar to those at 
Graglia. The highest village in the Val 
Andorno is Pie di Cavallo, connected 
with Issime, in the Val de Lys, by the 



Col de Torion. At the head of the Val 
Andorno is the Cima di Bo, and at 
either side of the summit lies a path 
leading to the Val Sesia. The more 
frequented of these traverses the head of 
the valley of the Sesserct, crossing two 
low passes before reaching Scopello 
(Rte. E). 

The shortest way from Biella to Orta 
is by the road skirting the base of the 
mountains, which passes by Cossato, 
Gattinara, Bomyanano, and Boryoma- 
nero, a distance of about 35 m. A more 
agreeable way is by Mosso Sta. Maria, 
reached from Biella by Andorno, and 
then by Crecacuore, near the junction of 
the Sessera with the Sesia. The lower 
valley of the Sesia is traversed at Borgo 
Sesia (Rte. E), where the pedestrian 
may find tolerable accommodation, and 
it is an easy walk thence to the shores of 
the Lake of Orta. The easiest way is by a 
low pass, aimdst wooded hills, to Goz- 
za.no, on the main road from Borgoma- 
nero to Orta, about 4 m. from either 
place. It would, probably, be better to 
go direct to Pella, NE. of Borgo Sesia, 
crossing on the way a hill which must 
command a very fine view, and reach 
Orta by boat. 

The Lake of Orta is, perhaps, the 
most attractive of the smaller lakes on 
the S. side of the Alps. It lies in a 
depression about 9 m. long, parallel to 
the S. branch of the Lago Maggiore, 
but is said to be 500 ft. above the level 
of that lake. The scenery of the shores 
combines richness with boldness of 
form, but does not offer the variety 
that characterises the shores of the 
greater lakes. The heights that sur- 
round it command views of extreme 
beauty, and the panorama from the 
Monte Motterone (§ 21, Rte. B) is cele- 
brated as one of the finest in the Alps. 
The attractions of the lake are much 
enhanced by the picturesque island of 
San Giulio, opposite the town of Orta. 
This stands on the E. shore of the lake, 
on a rather steep slope. It is very well 
provided with hotels (Albergo San 
Giulio, chez Ronchet^i, who speaks 
English — good and reasonable ; Leone 



332 



PENNINE ALPS. § 20. 



MONTE ROSA DISTRICT. 



d'Oro, small but good, on the lake ; La 
Posta, new and well situated). Boat- 
ing is one of the chief amusements 
here. Hire of a boat, with one man, to 
Omegna, 2 fr. Mules are not easily 
had, but tolerably stout donkeys are 
commonly used for excursions. Charge 
(including the boy who leads the don- 
key), 10 fr. a day. The Monte Sacro, 
forming a rocky promontory projecting 
into the lake, is a sanctuary dedicated 
to S. Francesco d' Assisi, with numerous 
chapels arranged in imitation of the 
more famous Sacro Monte of Varalio 
(Rte. E). Though less remarkable as 
works of art, these well deserve a visit, 
and the views over the lake and the 
surrounding mountains are of great 
beauty. The Isola di San Giulio should 
not be omitted by a stranger. Besides 
the extreme beauty of the position, the 
old church, partly modernised, contains 
many objects of interest. Among the 
frescoes is one by Gaudenzio Ferrari, 
and others by Tibaldi, an antique 
carved pulpit, &c. Some bones of a 
whale are exhibited as remains of a 
monstrous serpent destroyed by S. 
Giulio, who retreated hither in the 
fourth century. 

Orta is connected by a good road 
with Omegna (Rte. M) at the N. end of 
the lake, nearly 7 m. distant, and with 
Novara by Borgomanero. A new road 
leads to Arona (§ 21, Rte. A), the 
nearest railway station for Turin, Milan, 
&c. The distance is about 12 m., but 
the road is very hilly; the omnibus 
takes nearly 3 hrs., and carriages not 
much less time. 



Route L. 

ORTA TO PONTE GRANDE, BY THE VAE 
MASTALONE. 
(About 36 Eng. miles.) 

There is no way of approaching 
Monte Rosa which combines such a 
succession of beautiful scenery, con- 
stantly increasing in grandeur, as those 
described in this and the following 



Rtes. The Val Mastalone opens into 
the Val Sesia at Yarallo (Rte. £), and 
it is better to sleep at that place rather 
than attempt to reach Ponte Grande 
from Orta in one very long day. 

The way from Orta to Varalio is 
to cross the lake to Fella on the W. 
shore, where donkeys arj kept in 
readiness for those who wish to ride 
over the Col di Colma, as the low ridge 
is called which separates the lake from 
the valley of the Sesia. An active 
pedestrian may easily accomplish the 
distance in 4 hrs., but it is a pity to 
hurry through the exquisite scenery 
that accompanies the traveller through- 
out the whole distance. The ascent is 
rather steep, partly amid vines and 
fruit-trees, and in part under the shade 
of magnificent chestnut-trees. Masses 
of granite rock, often partially decom- 
posed, project here and there from the 
side of tii e mountain, and add wildness 
to the scene. The upper part presents 
glades of smooth turf that rival the 
finest park scenery, but the summit is 
an open down, covered with meagre 
heather. This is reached in little 
more than 2 hrs., and from a slight emi- 
nence to the 1. the snowy peaks of the 
Rosa range, the Mont Combin, and 
(as some think) the Monte Vis*, may 
be descried. In descending, the 
glimpses of the Val Sesia, richly 
planted, and crowded with comfortable- 
looking villages and brightly-painted 
churches, are not less charming than 
those on the opposite slope. A new 
road leads down the slope of the hill, 
and joins the high-road half a mile 
below Varalio (Rte. E). 

The Val Mastalone joins the Sesia 
close to the town, and there is a good 
carriage-road open for about 8 m. to 
Ferrera. and probably this year (1863) 
to Fobello. Nature, which has done 
so much to adorn this region, seems to 
have surpassed herself here. The most 
exquisite combinations of rock, and 
wood, and water succeed each other 
throughout the valley. In one place, 
about 3 m. from Varalio, it is con- 
tracted to a mere gorge, and a stone 



EOUTE N. — MONTE MORO. 



333 



bridge of a single arch, too narrow for 
carriages, spans the torrent. Another 
bridge has given a passage to the new 
road. About a mile above Ferrera 
the valley divides. The E. branch 
mounts to Rimella, where there is a 
poor inn. This leads to the Val Strona 
(Rte. M), and also offers the most 
direct way to the Val Anzasca, but 
the scenery is said to be inferior to 
that of the W. branch, which is gene- 
rally preferred. Keeping to the L at the 
fork of the valley, a walk of \ hr. leads 
to Fobello, where there is a country 
inn very well spoken ot, and supplying 
better food than usual. The low ridge 
of the Barranca Pass (5,749') closes 
the head of the valley. The ascent is 
easy and short, but not very interest- 
ing, the slopes on either side being 
gentle and bare of trees. At a small 
oratory, reached in 2 hrs. from Fobello, 
this path joins that from the Col 
d'Egua, described in Rte. I. The 
view towards the Val Anzasca and 
the Monte Rosa, though very beauti- 
ful, do not equal those from the Col 
d'Egua or the Col di Campello (Rte. 
M). Ponte Grande is reached in 3 hrs. 
from the Barranca Pass. See Rte. I. 



Route M. 

ORTA TO PONTE GRANDE, BT THE 
VAL STRONA. 

The Val Strona, of which it is 
enough to say that it is worthy to 
compete with the tributary glens of 
the Val Sesia, pours its torrent into 
the stream that drains the Lake of 
Orta just as this flows out close to 
Omeuna (Inn not comfortable, and 
charges unreasonable). Like most of 
the neighbouring valleys, this is narrow 
and sinuous, and richly wooded, giving 
constant variety of scenery but no dis- 
tant views. The path is rough and 
sometimes rather steep, and nearly 5 
hrs. must be allowed to reach Campello, 
the highest village. Scanty refresh- 
ment is to be had at an inn of the poorest 



class, or else this might well be made a 
stopping-place by travellers. One path 
leads hence to the Val Anzasca , passing a 
col to the N. of Campello, and descend- 
ing by the Val Serpiano, which opens 
about half-way between Calasca and 
Castiglione (Rte. F). Another track 
mounting immediately from the village 
a little S. of W., leads to the Col di 
Campello (about 6,000' ?). This com- 
mands one of the finest distant views 
of Monte Rosa, and well rewards the 
somewhat laborious route which the 
traveller has followed from Omegna. 
The descent leads down to JRimetta, the 
highest village in the E. branch of the 
Val Mastalone (Rte, L) ; but the editor 
is informed that there is a way leading 
to Ponte Grande, either bearing to the 
rt. from the track to Riniella, or passing 
the ridge at a point farther N. than the 
Col di Campello. Further information 
is desired. 

[ A very interesting way from Omegna 
to Varallo is by the village of Quarna, 
and then over the Monte Mazzucone to 
Camasco. This mountain is rather 
higher than the Motterone (§21, Rte. 
B), and Monte Rosa is some miles 
nearer, but it misses in great part the 
beautiful views over the lakes that have 
obtained for its rival the title of the 
Italian Righi. 7 or 8 hrs. should be 
allowed for this route from Omegna to 
Varallo.] 



Route N. 

VISP TO MAC UGNAG A, BY THE MONTE 



Eng. miles 
5 
10 

H 

5 

8 



In the preceding portion of this sec- 
tion we have supposed the traveller to 
approach the Monte Rosa by the western 
branch of the valley of the Visp, or 
else from the side of Italy. There 



MORO. 


Hrs.' 


walking 


Stalden 


H 


Saas 




Mattmark See 


3 


Monte Moro 


2 


Macugnaga . 


4 




14 



334 



PENNINE ALPS. § 20. MONTE HOSA DISTRICT. 



remains another route, in grandeur of 
scenery vying with any of those 
hitherto described, by the eastern 
branch of the Visp, best known as the 
Saasthal. For those who intend to 
make a complete tour of the entire dis- 
trict, commencing and concluding on 
the side of Switzerland, the best ar- 
rangement is to begin with the present 
route, and after passing some time in 
the Italian valleys to reach Zermattby 
the Col de St. Theodule. The expe- 
rience and training acquired in the course 
of a month thus spent will enable the 
traveller to conclude the tour by one or 
other of the high passes described in 
the two following Rtes. It is unfortu- 
nate for travellers that there is as yet 
no inn in the valley of Saas worthy of 
its natural attractions, or comfortable 
enough to tempt visitors to establish 
there their head-quarters. 

The path through the valley of Saas 
is practicable for mules nearly to the 
top of the Monte Moro Pass. The 
charge at Visp for a mule to Saas is 
20 fr. — exorbitant ; from Saas to the 
Monte Moro, 10 fr. 

The way from Visp to Stalden is 
described in Rtt . A. Above the latter 
village a path turns to the 1. from the 
more frequented track to St. Niklaus, 
crosses the Kinnbrucke. a single arch. 
150 ft. above the Gorner Visp, and 
entering the E. branch of the valley 
mounts rapidly along the 1. bank of the 
Saaser Visp. The valley narrows to a 
defile between steep and high moun- 
tains, whose summits are not seen from 
below, and scarcely a house is met till 
the track,in 2 hrs. from Stalden, reaches 
a little green plain where stands the 
village of Balen, at the base of the 
Balfrin or Balenfirn. The path here 
crosses to the rt. bank of the Visp. and 
the valley widens out a little so as to 
show some of the neighbouring peaks. 
In 3^- hrs.' steady walking from Stalden 
the traveller reaches Saas. For some 
years past there have been two inns 
here, but they have undergone many 
vicissitudes, and one or other has at 
various times been closed. The Hotel 



du Mont Rose was for some time well 
conducted by Franz Andermatten with 
one or two associates, but the latest 
accounts, in 1862. were less favour- 
able. The rival Hotel du Mont Moro 
was tolerably well kept in 1862, and 
very reasonable. The inn at the 
Mattmark See. better situated for 
many excursions, is now improved. 
Franz Andermatten is an excellent 
guide, and Moritz Zurbriicken and J. 
Venetz, also of Saas, are well spoken 
of. The former priest of the parish, 
Herr Imseng, is renowned as an intre- 
pid moun+aineer, and is well known by 
name to the readers of Mr. Wills's 
' Wanderings among the High Alps.' 
The village of Saas, 5,267 ft. above the 
sea, does not command very striking 
views, but is situated in the immediate 
neighbourhood of scenery of the first 
order, and is a centre whence the tra- 
veller may undertake many excursions 
of the utmost interest. Most of these 
are included among the passes described 
in the two following routes, and in § 2 1 . 
Those who do not undertake any of 
these rather difficult expeditions should 
on no account omit to visit the valley of 
Fee and the Gletscher Alp. The up- 
land valley of Fee, whose existence is 
scarcely suspected by a traveller pass- 
ing along the main valley, lies in a 
recess in the range of the Saas Grat, 
whose highest peaks rise in a grand 
amphitheatre round the Fee Glacier 
which fills the larger part of the valley. 
Below it are the pastures belonging to 
the hamlet of Fee, a short distance 
SW. of the village of Saas. The Gla- 
cier is divided into two large branches 
by the Gletscher Alp, a mass of rock 
rising in the midst of the ice. The 
view from the hamlet of Fee is already 
very fine, but to form an adequate idea 
of the grand scale on which Nature is 
here exhibited, travellers are recom- 
mended not only to reach the Gletscher 
Alp, but to ascend to its highest point, 
a distance of about 3j hrs. from Saas. 
It is possible to attain the lower part 
either by passing between the two arms 
of the Glacier, or by keeping to the rt. 



ROUTS N. — PASS 

above Fee, and crossing the N. arm to 
the foot of the rocks. In some seasons 
the two branches have approached so 
nearly together that in passing between 
them there has been risk from blocks of 
stone detached from the surface of the 
ice on either hand ; but during the last 
few years the ice has retreated. Facing 
the range of the Saas Grat, the three 
highest peaks of the Miscbabelhorner, 
all exceeding 14,000 ft., form the rt 
side of the amphitheatre; to these suc- 
ceeds the flattened summit of the Alp- 
hubel (13.8030, and the depression 
forming the Alphubel Pass (Rte. O ), 
followed by the Allaleinhorn (13,235'). 
The latter peak throws out a great spur 
terminating in the Mittaghorn, which 
encloses the valley of Fee on the S. 
side and completes the circuit. Ano- 
ther interesting excursion from Saas is 
to the Trift Alp, about 2j hrs. above 
the village on the E side of the valley. 
The view of the Saas Grat, which is 
the main object of the excursion, is, 
however, equally fine from many other 
points on the same side. 

The path from Saas to the Monte 
Moro lies all the way along the rt. 
bank of the Visp. The scenery is wild, 
and in part dreary, but at intervals the 
eye is relieved by grand views of the 
surrounding peaks and glaciers. The 
first village is Almagell, nearly at the 
limit of tree- vegetation, at the junc- 
tion of the Lehmbach with the Visp. 
This torrent, which has a fine waterfall 
some distance above the village, leads 
to the Zwischbergen Pass (§ 21, Rte. 
D). Little more than a mile farther 
the more considerable torrent from the 
Furgge Thai descends to join the Visp 
by the pastures of Z'meigeren. Beyond 
this the scenery increases in wildness, 
and the vegetation becomes more de- 
cidedly Alpine ; the path mounts, but 
not very rapidly, and at length, in 
nearly 3 hrs. from Saas, the traveller 
overlooks the Mattmark See. This 
small lake has been formed by the accu- 
mulation of the waters of the Visp 
behind the Allalein Gletscher, which, 
like that of Miage in the Allee Blanche, 



OF MONTE MORO. 335 

has dammed the valley across. The 
lake is kept within moderate limit be- 
cause the waters find an exit beneath 
the bed of the glacier. The very rare 
Pleurogyne carinthiaca is found in grassy 
spots near the lake. On the alp S. of 
the Mattmark See, a small inn has 
been opened within the last few years. 
There were at first complaints of the 
management, but it is said to be now 
much improved. Being nearer to many 
of the passes, hereafter described, than 
Saas, it is often found a more convenient 
stopping-place. This holds especially 
in regard to the Monte Moro, which is 
thus reached at an early hour, and the 
chance of a clear view from the top 
thereby much increased. At no great 
distance from the inn are the chalets of 
the Distel Alp. Amidst wild and dreary 
scenery the ascent continues by a tole- 
rable mule-path, and in some spots the 
remains of an ancient paved track 
attest the former importance of the 
pass. In most places it has been car- 
ried away or buried beneath debris. On 
reaching a moderately steep snow-siope, 
if not sooner, the mules are left behind, 
and a short ascent leads to the summit 
of the Pass of Monte Moro. Many of 
the passes described in this section may 
tempt more than this does the adven- 
turous traveller who loves the flavour 
of difficulty, not to say danger, but 
there is perhaps none which offers a 
scene of such surpassing grandeur as 
that here unrolled before his eyes, and 
none certainly that deserves a prefer- 
ence. The eastern face of Monte 
Rosa, with the continuous range of pre- 
cipice that extends to the Weissthor, 
is here seen from the most favourable 
point of view, and the beautiful peak of 
the Pizzo Bianco on the opposite side of 
the basin of Macugnaga completes the 
wonderful picture.. According to the 
Swiss Federal map, the height above 
the sea of the cross marking the sum- 
mit is 9,390 ft. 

It is well worth while to ascend a 
point E. of the summit of the pass, 
called the Joderhorn. The view of 
Monte Rosa is not finer, for, in truth, 



336 



PENNINE ALPS. § 20. MONTE ROSA DISTRICT. 



that cannot be surpassed, but the eye 
is enabled to contrast it with the dis- 
tant view over the plain of N. Italy 
and the southern ranges of the Alps. 
Without going so far, you may extend 
the range by mounting the rocks 
behind the wooden cross, whence you 
gain the view of Monte Rosa on one 
hand, and of the whole extent of the 
Sass valley on the other. 

The descent to Macugnaga is long, 
and for a pass so frequented, very 
steep; but the view which remains 
before the traveller's eyes suffices to 
prevent the way from becoming 
tedious. The lower half of the slope 
is less rapid, and on approaching the 
valley some scattered pines represent 
the remains of the forest that once 
covered the valley. From 3 to 3 J hrs. 
are required for the descent, but 4^- hrs. 
are usually employed in reaching the 
pass from Macugnaga. 

It is scarcely necessary to say that 
the name Monte Moro applies to the 
pass, and not to any of the neighbour- 
ing summits. All the ancient passes 
of the Alps received similar designa- 
tions, while distinct names for separate 
peaks were not recognised by travellers 
or geographers till a much later date. 
The name of this pass, and the words 
Mischabel, Allalein, Almagell, &c, all 
point to an early occupation of this 
route by the Saracens, who are known 
to have attempted to penetrate into 
Switzerland by several of the passes of 
the Pennine chain. 



Route O. 

SAAS TO ZERMATT, BY THE SAAS GRAT. 

The range of the Saas Grat, extend- 
ing from the Strahlhorn to the Balferin, 
ranks next in height to those of Mont 
Blanc and Monte Rosa, and the four 
passes leading to Zermatt, as well as 
the Ried Pass described in the next 
Rte., may be counted amongst the 
most considerable in the Alps, not to 
be attempted except by men in thorough 



training, ^ith good guides, and in 
settled weather. 

1. Mischabel Joch. This, the most 
northerly of the passes from Saas to 
Zermatt, has apparently been crossed 
but twice, and is so difficult that it can 
scarcely be recommended to future 
travellers. The passage was effected in 
1862 by Messrs. H. B. George, C. and 
W. Trotter, and Thomason, with Chris- 
tian Aimer and Pet- r Bohren, of Grin- 
delwald, and two Saas porters. Having 
followed the usual course to the Alp- 
hubel Joch (see below) for about 4 hrs. 
from Saas, Mr. George and his com- 
panions turned to the rt., and ascended 
a steep ridge of rocks and several 
snow slopes, keeping to the t of the 
ice -fall which descends from the basin 
below the col, and ascending almost 
direct towards the summit of the Alp- 
hubel. When they had reached a 
height about 300 ft. below the col, they 
turned again to the rt., and made their 
way nearly at a level till they were 
able to cross the bergschrund, above 
which a short steep ice-slope led (after 
cutting 180 steps) to the summit of the 
pass This lies between the Taschhorn 
and the Alphubel, but nearer to the lat- 
ter, and is probably about 12,800 ft, in 
height. 8^ hrs. from Saas were em- 
ployed in the ascent. 

The descent lies over the small 
Weingarten Gletscher, which falls very 
steeply on the W. side of the Alp- 
hubel. The rocks on either side were 
so unpromising that Christian Aimer, 
the leader, preferred to descend by 
the ice-fall of the glacier. This ra- 
ther difficult operation led the party 
in less than 2 hrs. from the pass to a 
stony tract, followed by grass slopes, 
ending in the Tasch Alp, and a path 
(mentioned below) conducted the tra- 
vellers thence to Zermatt in 3j hrs. 
from the foot of the glacier. Examined 
from below, the rocks enclosing the 
Weingarten Glacier appeared quite 
impracticable, leaving no other way 
than by the steep and broken ice-fall. 
Later in the same season the pass was 
effected in the opposite direction by a 



ROUTE 0. — ALLALEIN PASS. 



337 



party under the guidance of F. Loch- 
matter. 

2- The most direct way from Sa s 
to Zermatt is by the Alphubel Joch, 
SE. of the Alphubel. It was first dis- 
covered by the Rev. Leslie Stephen, 
one of the most energetic and successful 
explorers of this portion of the Alps, 
who has given in ' Vacation Tourists ' 
an account of the difficulties encoun- 
tered in effecting the descent to the 
Tasch Glacier. 

Having gained the summit of the 
Gletscher Alp above Fee (see last Rte.), 
a rocky ridge is seen to descend from 
the Alphubel, being probably a con- 
tinuation of the same ridge. A little 
to the 1. another ridge, nearly parallel 
to the first, descends from the direction 
of the pass lying between the Alphubel 
and the Allaleinhorn, SSW. of the tra- 
veller's position. The natural course is 
to follow the line of the second ridge, 
which leads by ' a long narrow snow- 
valley, or rather shelf,' to the lowest point 
(12.474/- — Fed. Engineers) in the range 
connecting the two above-named sum- 
mits. In making this pass it, is import- 
ant to hit the lowest point in the ridge, 
or true col. This is connected with easy 
snow -slopes that fall to the westward 
till they reach the verge of a steep 
rocky escarpment. Here it is necessary 
to bear to the 1., when the precipice 
gradually diminishes in height, and the 
descent to the glacier is quite free from 
difficulty. By striking the ridge too 
far S. on the first passage of the J.och, 
Mr. Stephen and his companions were 
led to seek a way over the summit of 
the Allaleinhorn. 

Another course was afterwards dis- 
covered by Mr, Stephen. From the top 
of the Gletscher Alp he directs travellers 
to follow the ridge descending from 
the Alphubel, keeping close under the 
rocks, and on reaching the watershed 
to bear as much as possible to the rt , 
Or towards the Alphubel. From the 
point reached on the shoulder of the 
Alphubel, about 250 ft. above the 
actual pass, the descent is said to be 
perfectly easy. It lies over a small 



secondary glacier, leading down to 
grassy slopes connected with the Tasch 
Alp, which is reached by following the 
stream from the small glacier. Neither 
the Tiisch Glacier nor its moraine is 
touched in following this route. There 
is a foot-path through the pine forest 
from the Tasch Alp to Zermatt, carried 
for a considerable distance along a 
watercourse. It joins the main track 
of the valley a short distance below 
the bridge over the Visp between 
Tasch and Zermatt. In taking the 
pass from Zermatt, the stream leading 
to the secondary glacier is the second 
on the 1. hand in ascending the Tasch 
valley. 

From 10 to 12 hrs., exclusive of 
halts, must be allowed for this pass, 
according to the state of the snow. 

The summit of the Alphubel was 
reached by Mr. Stephen in 2 hrs, from 
the col. The view is not much more 
extensive than that already seen from 
the pass, which includes the Bernese 
Oberland and the grand circuit of 
peaks surrounding Zermatt, but in 
ascending the peak the seracs are 
described as exceedingly grand. 

This pass is known to Melchicr 
Anderegg, Peter Perm, J ohann Kronig, 
J. J. Bennen, Victor Tairraz, and pro- 
bably to several of the Zermatt guides. 

3. Allalein Pass, or Tasch Joch. This, 
though rarely used, was long known as 
the only pass connecting Zermatt with 
the head of the valley of Saas. Like 
that next described, it is more easily 
taken from the Mattmark See than 
from Saas, but being far inferior in 
scenery to its rivals, and a less direct 
wav from Saas than the Alphubel 
Joch, it is not likely to be hencefor- 
ward much frequented. 

The Allalein Glacier originates in a 
snow-basin lying between the Strahl- 
horn and the Allaleinhorn, but the 
principal part of the ice-stream sweeps 
in a curve convex to the N. under the 
steep SE. side of the latter peak. The 
Kympfischhorn, which stands a little 
W. of the line joining the above-named 
summits, also contributes the snows of 



338 



PENNINE ALPS. § 20. 



MONTE EOSA DISTRICT. 



its E. slope to the upper reservoir. 
The ice-stream not only descends to 
the level of the main valley, but, as 
mentioned in the last Rte., it bars the 
channel of the Visp and forms the 
Mattmark See. 

The ascent to the Allalein Pass is 
commenced by the steep slopes of a 
ridge projecting eastward from the 
Strahlhorn, whose two summits are 
sometimes called respectively Inner and 
Ausser Thurm. After ascending for 
about 2^ hrs. it is necessary to cross the 
upper basin of the glacier, and it is 
usual to make a considerable sweep by its 
northern edge, under the Allaleinhorn, 
in order to avoid the great crevasses 
which occupy the centre. When the 
snow is in good order 4 f hrs. from th-e 
inn suffice to reach the summit of the 
pass, 11,654 ft. in height, and there- 
fore considerably lower than any other 
pass from Saas to Zermatt It is 
sometimes necessary to take a very cir- 
cuitous course over the upper part of 
the glacier, and when the snow is in 
bad condition the ascent may take 6 or 
7 hrs. The view, although it includes 
some grand objects, is far more limited 
than that from either of the preceding 
passes, or from the neighbouring Adler 
Pass. The most striking object is the 
craggy peak of the Rympfischhorn 
(13,790'), which from this side appears 
utterly inaccessible. In the opposite 
direction is the summit of the Allalein- 
horn (1 3,235'), reached for the first time 
in 1856 by Mr. Ames, guided by Franz 
Andermatten. The ascent lies along 
a sharp ridge, in some places rather 
difficult, and nearly 2 hrs. are required 
for the ascent from the pass. The view 
is, of course, very fine, and well de- 
serving the extra labour ; but considered 
as the object of an independent expe- 
dition it is not nearly equal to that from 
the adjoining and higher peaks of the 
same range, that from the Strahlhorn 
being pre-eminent. The descent by the 
Tasch Glacier is free from difficulty. 
There are some concealed crevasses 
which the guides often avoid by taking 
to the rocks. There is, however, no- 



thin z to prevent a party properly tied 
together from making nearly the entire 
descent by the neve and glacier, until 
this is left a short way above the Tasch 
Alp, whence, as already mentioned, a 
path through the forist leads to Zermatt, 
which may thus be reached in 9 hrs., 
exclusive of halts, from the Mattmark 
See. 

4. The Adler Pass. This, perhaps 
the most interesting of the passes con- 
necting the valleys of Saas and Zermatt, 
was discovered by M. Imsen>r, the cure 
of Saas, and is well described by Mr. 
Wills in his interesting volume called 
4 Wanderings among the High Alps.' 
When possible, it is a better plan to 
make the ascent from the Zermatt side, 
as the difficulty of cutting steps in the 
descent of the ice-slope is greater than 
in ascending. 

The first part of the way from the 
Mattmark See is by the same ascent 
that leads to the Allalein Pass. That 
pass lies over the NW. corner of the 
quadrangle enclosing the head of the 
Allalein Glacier, while the Adler Pass 
crosses the SW. corner of the same en- 
closure, between the Strahlhorn and the 
Rympfischhorn. The course across 
the upper slopes of the Allalein Glacier 
is free from serious difficulty, but some- 
times troublesome from the softness of 
the snow and from concealed crevasses. 
The summit of the pass (12,461'), 
usually reached in about 4j hrs. from 
the Mattmark See, commands one of the 
grandest views in this district, and is 
interesting not only for the distant ob- 
jects in view, but also for the striking 
position in which the traveller finds 
himself, separated from the upper part 
of the Findelen Glacier by an ice-slope 
so steep as to occasion some involuntary 
anxiety to those who pass for the first 
time. 

Before undertaking the descent, most 
travellers who are favoured by clear 
weather are tempted by the aspect of 
the adjoining peak of the Strahlhorn 
(13,75<y,), easily reached in 1 hr., or even 
less, by a moderately steep snow-slope, 
and commanding one of the most mag- 



ROUTE P. — RIED PASS. 



nificent panoramic views in the Alps. 
Though a few feet lower than the 
Rympfischhorn or the Alphubel, it is 
better situated, the view to the E. and 
S. being comparatively clear of obstruc- 
tion, and it is hard to point out a rival 
view in which all the elements that 
make up the grandeur of Alpine scenery 
are so perfectly combined. The return 
to the col may be made in J hr. 

The descent from the Adler Pass 
usually requires all the skill of practised 
ice-men, and at times, when fresh snow 
lies upon the ice-slope, it cannot be un- 
dertaken without unavoidable danger. 
The slope, which usually consists of 
hard ice, rests against very steep rocks 
descending from the Rympfischhorn, 
too smooth to offer hold for feet or 
hands. An ample supply of good rope 
and two ice-axes should be at hand as 
security against accidents. The descent 
is generally made close to the rocks, 
and owing to the difficulty of cutting 
steps in so steep a declivity it usually 
takes longer time than when the ascent 
is made from the Zermatt side. The 
distance is fortunately not great, and 
from -|- hr. to J hr. generally suffices to 
land the travellers on the head of the 
Findelen Glacier. The NE. corner of 
this glacier, lying below the ridge of 
the Rympfischwang, is much broken, 
and care and experience are requisite 
to thread the way through the intricate 
network of crevasses. Some previous 
study of the surface as viewed from 
above may save time in this part of the 
route. From 1 hr. to 1| hr. usually 
suffices to set the traveller clear of these 
last difficulties, and then the way lies 
for about f hr. more either on* the mo- 
raine or along the N. side of the glacier. 
This is finally quitted when easier foot- 
ing is obtained on the rt. bank, and the 
descent to Zermatt' continues by the 
Fliih Alp and the beaten track descend- 
ing thence to Zermatt. The steep 
ridge of the Rympfischwang separates 
the Findelen from the Tasch Glacier, 
and offers the only way yet found to 
reach the peak of the Rympfischhorn. 
As this ascent cannot conveniently be 



combined with any of the passes here 
described, it is noticed amongst the 
excursions from Zermatt, Rte. A. 

When taken from Zermatt to the 
Mattmark See this pass may usually be 
made in 9 hrs., exclusive of halts, and 
some active mountaineers have accom- 
plished it in 8 hrs. In the opposite 
direction not less than 10 hrs. should 
be allowed. When the pass is made to 
or from Saas, instead of the inn at the 
Mattmark See, time is saved by avoid- 
ing the latter, and crossing diagonally 
the lower end of the Allalein Glacier, so 
as to reach the main track through the 
Saas Thai just where it leaves the side 
of the glacier. 

In going from the Adler Pass to the 
Riffel Hotel, travellers may either pass 
by the E. side of the Stock horn to the 
head of the Gorner Glacier, or cross 
the rocky tract N. of the Gorner Grat 
from the 1. bank of the lower Findelen 
Glacier. 

Besides the four passes already de- 
scribed, Zermatt may be reached from 
the Mattmark See by the Schwarzberg 
Glacier and the New Weiss Thor, as 
mentioned in Rte. F. This is, by many 
degrees, the easiest and most direct way 
for reaching the Riffel Hotel from the 
head of the valley of Saas. 



Route P. 

SAAS TO ST. NIKLAUS, BY THE HIED 
PASS. 

This interesting pass was discovered 
by Professor Ulrica, but has been 
rarely used, probably because the fre- 
quented mule paths through both 
branches of the Visp valley offer a 
much easier and shorter mode of com- 
munication. The editor has been 
favoured with an account of the pass 
by the Rev. Leslie Stephen. 

It has been already mentioned 
(Rte. A) that the range of the Mis- 
chabelhorver includes four summits. 
Reckoning from S. to N., these are the 
Taschhorn (14,7 580, the Bam (14,935'), 
2 



340 



PENNINE ALPS. § 21. SIMPLON DISTRICT. 



a third nameless and little prominent 
point (14,108'), and a fourth, sometimes 
called Gasenriedhorn (14.219'). The 
two latter are collectively called JS'adeU 
grat. N. of the Nadelgrat the ridge of 
the Saas Grat sinks considerably, and 
the next summit, NE. of the Gasen- 
riedhorn, is the Ulrichshorn (12,891'), 
sometimes called Klein Mischabelhorn; 
the last high summit, due N. of the 
last, is the Balferin (12,402'). The 
Hied Pass, lying between the two last- 
mentioned peaks, gives access from 
Saas to the head of the Ried Gl cier, 
descending NNW. from the Nadelgrat. 
A ridge sinking rapidly towards the 
valley of Saas projects to the eastward 
from the Gasenriedhorn, having on its 
N. side the Bider Glacier, and on the 
S. the small Hochbabn Glacier, whose 
torrent joins that from the Fee Glacier. 
Access to the pass has hitherto been 
obtained only by crossing the upper 
part of this ridge from its S. base near 
the hamlet of Fee. Following up the 
course of the stream, and keeping 
along the NE. bank of the Hoch b Jm 
Glacier, it is easy to reach thie higher 
neve, which must be crossed towards 
the angle of the glacier immediately 
under the Ulrichshorn. A snow couloir 
will then be found to lead up to the 
highest point in the ridge already 
mentioned. By this couloir, or by the 
rocks beside it, the traveller gain the 
ridge and looks down upon the Bider 
and Hochbalm Glaciers. Turning up 
this ridge to the point where it diverges 
from the main chain, a little N. of the 
peak of the Ulrichshorn, he reaches 
the edge of a broad level plateau of 
neve, dividing the latter mountain 
from the Balferin. 

' It took us a good J hr. of fast 
walking on hard snow to cross this, 
which we did, keeping well to our 
left under the rocks of the Ulrichshorn. 
Here, as the Ried Glacier began to 
sink towards the NW., we were obliged 
to leave it and keep to the W. along 
the lower slopes of the Nadelgrat, 
somewhat helped by old avalanche 
snow, and once endangered by falling 



stones. There is considerable difficulty 
at the point where the great glacier 
fall occurs. It is necessary to leave 
the bank of the glacier, keeping over 
a small secondary glacier which lies on 
the slope of the Nadelgrat, after cross- 
ing which a steep couloir will be found 
leading to the lower plateau of the 
Ried Glacier. This couloir, however, 
is impracticable in its upper part, and it 
is necessary to descend by the rocks 
on its right (or eastern) bank. They 
look at first difficult, but are in fact 
pretty easy. On reaching the foot of 
the couloir the grass slopes on the W. 
bank of the glacier are soon reached. 
A little lower is the Schallbet Alp, 
whence there is a path to St. Nicolas. 
The vast dimensions of the Ried 
Glacier will surprise those who pass 
here for the first time. It is possible 
to climb the Ulrichshorn or Balferin 
en route. The weather was too un- 
certain for us to do so. Time required. 
5 hrs. ascending from Saas, and 5 hrs.' 
descent to Sr. Niklaus. Melchior 
Anderegg, Johann Kronig, of Zermatt, 
Franz Andermatten, and Franz Loch- 
matter, of Macugnaga, all know the 
pass. 

' The route laid down on Studer's 
map principally differs from this in 
placing the track along the NE bank 
of the Ried Glacier. I believe our 
route was the best. The pass is very 
interesting in showing the interior of 
the Mischabel range, which is invisible 
in other directions.' — [L. S.] 



SECTION 21. 

SDIPLON' DISTRICT. 

Between the valley of c aas, described 
in the last section, and the Pass of the 



Simplon is a very considerable moun- 
tain range, parallel in its general 
direction to the Saas Grat, and im- 



portant enough in any other neighbour- 



ROUTE A. — PASS 



OF THE SIMPLON. 



341 



hood than that of Monte Rosa to 
attract mountaineers. After a long 
period of neglect, this fine range has of 
late years excited the attention of 
several travellers, and it has now been 
partially explored, though there is 
doubtless scope for many new and 
interesting expeditions. From the 
Joderhom, near Maeugnaga,to the N. 
peak of the Fletschhorn, the range in 
question forms the watershed between 
Switzerland and Italy. N. of the 
above limit the chain forks, and two 
parallel ridges of no great height, 
enclosing between them the Gamsen 
Thai, descend towards the Rhone, At 
its N. end the range is high, and so 
steep that the road of the Simplon and 
the valley of Saas are in some places 
not more than 7 m. apart. Farther 
S. the summits are lower, but the range 
throws oat considerable branches to 
the E., which enclose the valleys of 
Antrona and Bugnanco. 

It is convenient to include in this 
district the nearly isolated mass 
crowned by the peak of the Monte 
Leone, which is enclosed on two sides 
by the road of the Simplon, and on the 
third by the Val Cherasca. 



Route A. 

MARTIGNY TO ARONA — PASS OF THE 
SIMPLON. 

Swiss leagues Eng. miles 

Sion (by railway) . 5£ 16£ 

Sierre (by road) . 3| 9f 

Turtman ... 3 9 

Visp ... 3 9 

Brieg ... If b\ 

Berisal ... 3 9 

Simplon ... 5 15 

Isella ... 3 9 

Domo d'Ossola . 3£ 10§ 

Vogogna ... 3 9 

Ornavasso . 2£ 7i 

Baveno . 2£ 7| 

Arona ... 4 12 



43 



129 



Four trains daily from Bouveret to 
Sion in 2|- hrs., taking passengers by 
the Quest Suisse line at the St. Maurice 



J unction. Diligence from Sion to Arona 
once daily in 24 hrs. Fares : coupe, 
fr. 35.50; interior, fr. 29.80. This 
vehicle starts from Brieg at 6.30 a.m., 
and reaches Domo d'Ossola at 7 p.m. 
It is, therefore, a good plan to reach 
Brieg on the preceding evening, either 
by char, or by a diligence which plies 
daily between Sion and Brieg. A two- 
horse carriage from Sion to Brieg may 
be hired for 40 or 50 fr. ; from Brieg 
to Domo the charge is from 80 to 100 
fr., with a bonnemain. This should in- 
clude all charges for extra horses 
engaged to assist in the ascent. Pedes- 
trians who may avail themselves of the 
diligence to send their heavy luggage 
across the Alps, while they follow some 
less convenient route, should not forget 
to send the key of each article fastened 
outside, as otherwise it will be detained 
at the Italian custom-house. 

We include in this route the greater 
portion of the celebrated road designed 
by Napoleon to connect France and 
Italy by way of Geneva and Milan, 
which continues to be one of the main 
lines of communication across the Alps, 
and one of the most interesting for 
those who are condemned by infirmity 
or indolence to keep to carriage-roads. 
The original road was carried along the 
S. side of the Lake of Geneva (§ 17, 
Rte. I), and then by the 1. bank of the 
Rhone to Martigny. It was then con- 
ducted through the valley of the Rhone 
to Sion, and thence to Brieg. The 
main difficulties and the heaviest ex- 
penditure were encountered in travers- 
ing the pass between Brieg and Domo 
d'Ossola, especially in the descent on 
the Italian side. From Domo d'Ossola 
the course selected was along the valley 
of the Tosa, and, after some doubt as 
to the relative advantages of a line 
by the Lake of Orta or by the Lago 
Maggiore, the latter was ultimately 
selected, and the road was carried past 
Arona to Sesto Calende at the S. end of 
the lake, and thence across the plain to 
Milan. The extension of railways and 
steamers has reduced to secondary im- 
portance the portions of the line between 



342 



PENNINE ALPS. § 21. SIMPLON DISTRICT. 



Geneva and Sion, and between Baveno 
and YLilan ; and though the works on 
the rly. between Sion and Brieg have 
been partially suspended, it is pro- 
bable that the only part of the original 
road which will long continue to serve 
for general traffic is that between Brieg 
and Baveno. Although the works on 
this line have been equalled, and even 
surpassed, during the last half century, 
especially on some of the great Austrian 
roads, such as the Stelvio. this continues 
to be a remarkable monument of skill 
and labour, owing to the great difficul- 
ties that were successfully encountered 
in making the road. It happens, unfor- 
tunately, that the narrow gorge through 
which it was necessary to conduct the 
descent towards Italy is peculiarly ex- 
posed to the effects of storms and heavy 
rain. The road has in consequence 
suffered serious damage, and large por- 
tions have at different times been car- 
ried away, so that the sums expended 
for maintenance and repairs during the 
last 50 years have borne a large pro- 
portion to the original cost, which was 
nearly £700,000. The breadth of the 
road is nowhere less than 25 ft., and 
the slope rarely exceeds 1 in 15. To 
give an idea of the amount of work 
involved in making such a road, it is 
said that between Brieg and Sesto 
Calende it crosses 613 bridges of 
various dimensions. 

The way from Geneva to Martigny 
is described in § 18, Rte. A. The 
valley of the Rhone between that place 
and Sion is so devoid of picturesque 
interest, that most travellers are glad to 
hurry over it in the rly. train. On 
either side of the valley mountains of 
uniform slope and hue, just high enough 
to conceal the great ranges of the Pen- 
nine and Bernese Alps, hem in the 
valley, whose bed is so nearly level that 
undrained swamps extend afar, and at 
some seasons make it unhealthy as well 
as unsightly. The geologist, who sees 
in these appearances the record of the 
processes that have fashioned the moun- 
tains and the valley, will not find the 
way irksome. The uniformity of the 



slopes and the absence of salient points 
are here due to the passage of a vast 
glacier through a trench in the yielding 
carboniferous strata, and this immense 
planing tool has left its mark perma- 
nently impressed on the face of the 
country. 

Near the first station on the rly. 
from Martigny are the mineral waters 
of Saxon, containing iodine and bro- 
mine, and deemed very efficacious in skin 
complaints. The site is not attractive, 
but the establishment is handsomely 
fitted up. Pension, 5 fr. a day. The 
next station is Riddes. Looking back, 
there is a fine view of the Grand 
Moevran (10,044') (§ 22), while to the 
N. the Haut de Cry (9,698') is a strik- 
ing object. The rly. crosses to the rt. 
bank before reaching the next station, 
Ardon. near the opening of the Val de 
Lizerne, through which lies the way to 
the Pas de Cheville (§ 22). About 4 
m. farther is 

Sion (Inns : Poste ; Lion d'Or — both 
good), the ancient capital of the Valais 
(1,732'), whose former importance is 
told by the massive style of the houses 
of many of the old families of the 
place, and by the ruins of several cas- 
tles. The mquotony of the valley of 
the Rhone is here broken by some 
masses of rock that rise abruptly in the 

| midst, and are crowned by three castles, 
greatly enhancing the picturesque ap- 
pearance of the town. These buildings 
contain many remains of antiquity, com- 
mencing with the Roman period, but 

I they chiefly tell of the period when the 
Bishops of Sion reigned as secular 
princes over the Yalais. In going to 
visit these buildings the traveller is 
first conducted to the Majoria, once the 
residence of the majors, or governors, 
of the Yalais, now inhabited by the 

I bishop and canons. Passing a very 

I ancient All Saints' Chapel, he next 
reaches the Tourbillon, a ruined castle 

! picturesquely placed on a steep rock, 
seen to the 1. in approaching the town 
fr^m Martigny. This commands a very 
fine view up the valley of the Rhone, 

I with the snowy Alps of the Lbtschen 



EOUTE A. SIERRE. 



343 



Thai in the background. The third 
and most ancient castle is called Valeria, 
and now serves as an ecclesiastical 
seminary; it is said to have been origi- 
nally the Roman Prsetorium. This 
edifice includes the old cathedral, a 
curious specimen of the Early Pointed 
style, with a very perfect rood-loft of 
the 13th century, a chapel dedicated 
to St. Catharine (said to date from the 
9th century), and some ancient fres- 
coes. The view from this castle ex- 
tends down the valley of the Rhone, 
including, in the background, the Dia- 
blerets, the Dent de Morcles, &c. 

' There is a comfortable pension 2 
min. walk from Sion, kept by Madame 
Muston, late landlady of the Lion d'Or.' 
_[M.] 

The flora of this part of the valley 
is remarkable for the presence of many 
species characteristic of the Mediter- 
ranean region, some of which, such as 
the pomegranate, have probably been 
introduced by man, but others are of 
spontaneous growth. Among those 
more interesting to the botanist may be 
enumerated, Eruca sativa, Buffonia 
tenuifolia, Ononis Columnar, Genista 
radiaia, Cytisus nigricans, Trigonella 
monspeliaca, Telephium Imperati, Cen- 
taur ea Crupina, Ephedra distachya (on 
the rocks below the castle), Iris lutes- 
cens, Tulipa oculus solis, Malaxis 
Lceselii, Tragus racemosus, and Sclero- 
chloa dura. 

From Sion diverge the paths through 
the Val d'Herens and the Val d'Here- 
mence, described in § 19, and those 
leading to the Sanetseh and Rawyl 
passes included in § 23. 

The road from Sion to Sierre is less 
monotonous than in the lower part of 
the valley. On the sunny slopes of the 
N. side much wine of local repute is 
produced. The flat part of the bed is 
in great part covered with sand and 
gravel by the frequent inundations of 
the Rhone. 

Sierre (Germ. Siders), (Inn : Soleil, 
good and reasonable), has an air of 
cleanliness and prosperity not usual in 
the towns of the Valais. Here is the 



division between the German-speaking 
population of the Upper Valais and 
those using the French dialect of the 
lower part of the Canton. Just beyond 
the town the new road to the Baths of 
Leuk (§ 23) turns off to the L, and the . 
main road crosses to the 1. bank of the 
Rhone, opposite the opening of the 
beautiful Val d'Anniviers (§ 19). The 
hills, formed of gravel and transported 
blocks, which occupy a great part of 
the bed of the valley, are apparently the 
remains of moraines left during the 
gradual withdrawal of the great glacier 
that once occupied the valley. After 
passing Pfyn (ad fines ?), where the re- 
mains of an extensive forest mark a spot 
where the Valaisans gallantly resisted 
the French invasion in 1798, the road 
reaches Susten (with a small inn), op- 
posite the picturesque little town of 
Leuk. This stands at the opening of the 
gorge of the Dal a, descending from the 
Baths of Leuk and the Pass of the 
Gemmi (§ 23). Few travellers care to 
walk along the valley of the Rhone : 
those who do so should follow the 
country road along the rt. bank from 
Sierre to Leuk, and may then cross the 
bridge connecting it with Susten. Here 
is the opening of a short glen, through 
which lies a very interesting way by 
the 111 See to St. Luc (§ 19, Rte. 1). 

About 3 m. farther is Turtman (Fr. 
Tourtemagne) (Inns: Poste, good and 
reasonable ; Soleil, fair), at the opening 
of the Turtman Thai, 2,208 ft. above 
the sea. The torrent issuing from the 
valley makes a fine waterfall, which is 
bat 10 or 15 mins.' walk from the inn, 
and deserves a visit On the rt. bank 
of the Rhone, about 2 m. from Turt- 
man, is Gampel, at the junction of the 
considerable stream from the Lotschen 
Thai (§ 25), and a little farther on, near 
Raron, on the same side of the valley, 
the opening of the Bietsckthal gives a 
glimpse of the fine peak of the Bietsch- 
horn" (12,9690. After traversing a 
swampy tract the road reaches 

Visp (Fr. Viege), (Inns : Soleil, best 
and reasonable ; Poste, tolerable), a vil- 
lage (2,3620 which has grown into 



344 



PENNINE ALPS. § 21. SIMPLON DISTEICT. 



some importance from the extensive 
tourist-traffic to and from Zermatt. 
Three good guides, by name Moritz 
Andermatten, Alexander Albrecht, and 
Theodor Fuchs, all of them well 
acquainted with the Monte Rosa district, 
live at Visp. In hot weather, especially 
in autumn, it is well to avoid sleeping 
here, as the place is said to be subject 
to malaria. The fine snow-pyramid 
seen to the S., and sometimes pointed 
out as Monte Rosa (!) is the Balferin, 
the N. peak of the Saas Grat (§ 20, 
Rte. P). Visp was formerly the resi- 
dence of most of the native aristocracy 
of the Upper Valais, but owing to the 
division of property and changes in the 
political institutions, most of the old 
families have dwindled into insignifi- 
cance. Two churches of rather curious 
architecture recall the former condition 
of the country. One of these, originally 
reserved exclusively for persons of 
noble family, was partially destroyed by 
the earthquake of 1855, which injured 
all the buildings in the town. On the 
N. side of the Rhone, opposite Visp, is 
the opening of the Baltschieder Thai, 
an Alpine glen descending from the 
range of the Nesthorn, and said to pro- 
duce many rare minerals. 

About 3j m. beyond Visp is Gamsen, 
marked from a distance by the masses 
of gravel borne down by the Gamsa 
torrent, which here issues from the 
Nanzer Thai, also called Gamsen Thai 
[This valley has not yet attracted the 
attention of Alpine travellers. It ter- 
minates in the Gamsa Glacier, lying on 
the N. side of the JRossbodenhorn (Rte 
C). About 6 m. S. of Gamsen a path 
mounts to the E. and reaches the Hospice 
of the Simplon by the Bistenen Pass, 
respecting which information is desired. 
This is the most direct, though probably 
not the shortest course from Visp to 
Domo d'Ossola. It would doubtless be 
possible to reach Saas from the Nanzer 
Thai, passing on either side of the 
Simmelihorn, or over the summit of that 
peak, which, being 10,730 ft. in height, 
must command a very fine view.] A 
mile beyond Gamsen is Glys, where the 



ascent of the Simplon originally com- 
menced, but the universal practice is to 
make a slight detour by 

Brieg (Inns: Poste, good; H. d'An- 
gleterre ; and one or two second-rate 
houses), a small, cheerful-looking town, 
with a conspicuous building, the chateau 
of the Stockalper family, and another 
large house which, up to 1847, was a 
college directed by the Jesuits. There 
is a pretty good restaurant adjoining the 
diligence office, convenient for those 
who travel that way. Pedestrians may 
save 5 or 6 m. in the ascent by fol- 
lowing the old mule-track instead of 
the road ; but in 1839 this was partly 
carried away, and unless it has been 
repaired a traveller without a guide may 
easily miss the way. The writer found 
11^ hrs.' steady walking, with a knap- 
sack, sufficient for the distance from 
Brieg to Domo d'Ossola, not counting a 
short halt at the Hospice. The old 
track keeps above the rt. bank of the 
Saltine, leaving Berisal several miles 
distant to the 1. 

The Pass of the Simplon is the 
lowest in the main range of the Alos 
between the Mont Genevre and the 
neighbouring passes leading from 
Dauphine into Piedmont, and the 
Maloya Pass connecting the head of 
the Lake of Como with the Valley of 
the Inn. Like those passes, this cor- 
responds rather to a dislocation than to 
a gap in the main chain. The N. and 
S. direction prevailing amongst the 
ridges and valleys of the Mo te Rosa 
group here ceases, and on the opposite 
side of the Simplon Pass the main 
range resumes its characteristic direc- 
tion from SW. to NE. The pass is 
approached on the N. side through a 
short and steep glen traversed by the 
insignificant torrent of the Saltine, but 
on the Italian side the road descends 
into the narrow ravine of the Val 
Vedro, running from W. to E. parallel 
to the adjoining valleys of Bugnanco 
and Antrona In ascending from 
Brieg there is a very fine view of the 
Bernese Alps to the N., but the great 
Aletsch Glacier, comparatively near at 



ROUTE A. SIMPLON PASS. 



345 



hand, is shut out by the slopes of the 
Aeggischhorn. After mounting some 
distance by short zigzags, the road 
makes a wide sweep to the L, and then 
returns towards the gorge of the 
Saltine, but at a great height above the 
torrent. At the Second Refuge the 
first great obstacle to the progress of 
the road is encountered. A torrent 
called the Ganiher descends from the 
E. to join the Saltine, and has cut for 
itself a deep and narrow glen crossing 
the line that must be taken to reach 
the pass. The road here makes a 
second and still longer detour towards 
the head of the glen of the Ganther, 
where it passes the inn and post station 
of Berisal Beds and tolerable food 
may be had here in case of need. It 
is now necessary to return, though at 
a higher level, on the S. side of the 
Ganther, again approaching the gorge 
of the Saltine, so that the Fourth 
Refuge, scarcely 1 m. in a straight 
line from the second, is distant at 
least 6 m. by the road. The first 
tunnel, or gallery, is that of Schallbet, 
and beyond it, to the 1., opens a view of 
a wild gorge bearing the same name, 
round which the road is carried, though 
by a less considerable circuit than that 
of Berisal. This part of the road is 
much exposed to avalanches in winter 
and spring. Passing under the small 
Kaltwasser Glacier, lying on the W. 
slope of the Monte Leone, the road is 
protected from the torrent and from 
avalanches by an artificial gallery, 
built in massive masonry, which allows 
the road to pass unharmed under ice, 
snow, or waterfall. Here the Monte 
Leone (11,696'), and the Schonhorn 
(10,507') rise grandly to the E. and 
SE., and in approaching the summit of 
the pass the traveller once again 
beholds the range of the Bernese Alps 
as far as the Jungfrau, with the nearly 
equally lofty chain of the Nesthorn 
(§ 25), whose peaks are confounded 
with the more distant mountains be- 
hind. Before reaching the Sixth 
Refuge the road passes through a long 
new gallery, completed in 1852, erected 



to guard this part of the road from 
spring avalanches. Immediately be- 
yond the same Refuge is the summit 
of the pass, 6,628 ft. above the sea, 
marked by a wooden cross. The road 
descends very gently for ^ m. from 
the summit to the New Hospice, left 
unfinished by Napoleon, and only com- 
pleted many years later by the monks 
of the Great St. Bernard, to whose 
care he committed it. The manage- 
ment is similar to that of the parent 
house (§ 18, Rte. A), but the cold here 
is much less severe, and the facility of 
access by the high-road makes the 
services of the worthy monks less 
indispensable than at their original 
station. It is estimated, however, that 
they annually give gratuitous food or 
lodging to about 12,000 poor travellers. 
Those who halt here, and can afford to 
do so, should, of course, not omit to 
put a suitable donation into the box 
kept for that purpose. The chief ob- 
ject which can induce a mountaineer 
to make this his resting-place is the 
ascent of the Monte Leone (11,696'), 
an expedition seldom made, though the 
view must be remarkably fine. For 
the pass hence to Saas see Rte. C. 

For at least 3 m. from the summit of 
the pass the road traverses a nearly 
level plateau, sloping gently to the 
SE. On the rt. hand stands the Old 
Hospice, a tower built by one of the 
Stockalper family. The Seventh 
Refuge is now in ruins, not being 
required, and about 3 m. farther is 
Simpeln (Fr. Simplon; Ital. Sempione). 
The road and the pass deservedly 
obtain the French name which is 
associated with their history, but as 
the village has a German population, 
and (although on the Italian side of 
the watershed) belongs to the Canton 
Valais, it must retain its original name. 
Complaints were formerly made of the 
innkeeper of the Poste here, who was 
said to resort to ingenious devices to 
force travellers to halt, at his hotel. 
There is a new inn (Hotel Fletschhorn) 
at the lower end of the village, said to 
be well kept and reasonable. The 



346 



PENNINE ALPS. § 21. SIMPLON DISTRICT. 



Hossboden Glacier, descending from the I 
N. peak of the Fletschhorn, approaches 
near to the village ; the more consider- 
able Laquin Glacier sends its torrent 
down to the valley near to Algaby. 

The stream which descends from the 
upper part of the pass on the side of 
Italy is called Krummbach, but lower 
down it receives the Italian name 
Doveria. The pedestrian may make a 
short cut in descending from Simpeln 
to Algaby, where the road is carried 
through a tunnel 224 ft. long, and soon 
after crosses to the 1. bank of the 
Doveria- Here the traveller enters the 
Gorge of Gondo, one of the most remark- 
able scenes traversed by a carriage- 
road in the Alps. The valley is here 
a mere cleft between precipitous gneiss 
rocks of great height, and the utmost 
skill of the engineer has been taxed to 
find a passage for the road alongside of 
the stream, which, after every storm, 
becomes a furious torrent. Nor is this 
the only risk to be encountered. The 
same cause sometimes detaches blocks 
of stone from the face or summit of the 
precipice, and passing carriages have 
ere now been crushed by their fall. 
After crossing the Doveria by a wooden 
bridge called Ponte Alto, and soon 
after returning to the 1. bank, the road 
reaches the entrance of the great 
Gallery of Gondo. This is a tunnel 
709 ft. in length, cut through a buttress 
of extremely hard rock, which all but 
closes the gorge. Nothing can be 
more striking than the scene on issuing 
from the E. end of the tunnel. The 
Fressinone torrent, issuing from a 
lateral cleft in the wall of the valley, 
falls in a roaring waterfall close to the 
mouth of the tunnel, and the road is 
carried across a bridge close under the 
fall. The next portion of the road has 
scarcely yet recovered from the de- 
structive effects of storms which, in 
1834 and 1839, carried away bridges 
and large portions of the roadway. 

Gondo {Germ. Gunz), with several 
unattractive inns, and a picturesque 
Stockalper tower, seven stories high, 
originally built as a refuge for travel- 



lers, is the last village belonging to the 
Valais. A narrow cleft to the rt. is the 
opening of the valley of Zwischbergen 
(Rte. D). Half a mile beyond the 
village a column marks the frontier of 
Italy. This happens to correspond to 
a considerable change in the character 
of the vegetation, which assumes a 
decided southern character when, 2 m. 
farther, the traveller reaches 

Isella (Inn : Poste, good and clean, 
the best on the road between Brieg 
and Domo), the Italian custom-house 
station. The storms above alluded to 
produced their utmost effect in the 
portion of the valley below Isella, 
called Vol di Vedro, and for a space 
of several miles not only did the 
bridges disappear, but the road itself 
was completely swept away by the 
flood. About 1^ m. farther the 
Cherasca torrent joins the Doveria. 
[For the passes leading to the Binnen 
Thai and the Val Antigorio, see § 30.] 
The chestnut has become the prevailing 
tree before the road passes through the 
last gallery, where the change of 
climate is significantly expressed by 
the prickly pears that have spread 
over the rocks. A short distance 
farther the Doveria is crossed for the 
last time by the fine bridge of Crevola, 
and the traveller issues from the 
narrow gorge of the Val di Vedro into 
the broad stately Val d'Ossola, bright 
with numerous villages and white cam- 
paniles, rich with the peculiar vegeta- 
tion of Northern Italy, where mulberry- 
trees and treilised vines dispute the 
occupation of the soil with maize and 
hemp, and the varied crops that are 
crowded together in every spare spot 
of ground. The sense of an utter 
change of scene is completed to the ear 
by the keen shrillness of the unseen 
cicale that fills the entire air. The 
Val d'Ossola is traversed by the Tosa 
or Toccia, a very considerable Alpine 
stream, which soon ends its short 
course from the Val Forniazza (§ 30) 
in the Lago Maggiore. The torrent 
trom the Val Buguanco (Rte. Ej has 
poured a vast mass of debris into the 



ROUTE A. BORROMEAN ISLANDS. 



347 



broad level bed of the Val d'Ossola a 
short distance above 

Domo d'Ossola (Inns : H. de la Ville, 
tolerably good ; H. d'Espagne), a small 
town with nothing worthy of notice, 
unless it be the Italian aspect of the 
buildings and the inhabitants. The 
Hotel Albasini, just ouside the town, is 
said to be extremely well kept, and the 
charges reasonable. It is resorted to 
for the sake of (mineral ?) baths, by 
persons who lodge en pension during the 
summer season: An omnibus plies daily 
to Pallanza. A more agreeable way for 
the pedestrian to the Lago Maggiore 
lies through the Val Vegezzo (§ 31). 
but the main road to Arona is carried 
through a beautiful country, though too 
hot to make walking pleasant. The 
charge for a char to Baveno or Pallanza 
is, or was, 15 fr. After a delay of 20 
years the two bridges over the Tosa, on 
the way to Gravellona, which had been 
carried away by floods, have lately been 
rebuilt. 

At Villa, about 3-J m. below Domo, 
the Ovesca, issuing from the Val An- 
trona, joins the main stream, and the 
more important stream of the Anza is 
received into the Tosa a few miles lower 
down, close to the new bridge atMasone. 
Travellers bound from Domo to the Val 
Anzasca (§ 20, Rte. F) find a road to 
the 1., leading to Pie di Mulera, some 
distance before reaching the opening of 
the valley. About a mile beyond the 
bridge of Masone is 

Vogogna ( Inn : Corona, fair). The 
Tosa is here navigable for large barges. 
The valley gradually widens as it ap- 
proaches the lake. At Migiandone the 
road returns to the rt. bank, leaving the 
Tosa to make its way to the Lago Mag- 
giore by winding round the base of the 
Monte Orfano, an isolated mass of very 
beautiful pink granite, which recurs at 
Fariolo and some other points in this 
district. The next post-station is 

Ornavasso (Inn : Croce Bianca), 
where extensive quarries have supplied 
most of the white marble used in con- 
structing the cathedral of Milan. About 
3 m. farther is Gravellona (Inn : Eu- 



ropa), where the high-road crosses the 
Strona, which here bears down the 
drainage of the Lake of Orta (Rte. B). 
A road to the 1. leads to Pallanza, and 
the traveller gets a first glimpse of the 
Lago Maggiore. At Fariolo (Inn : 
Leone d'Oro, fair) the bay, extending 
westward between Pallanza and Stresa, 
one of the most beautiful portions of 
the lake, comes fully into view ; and a 
little farther on the road reaches one of 
the most frequented haunts of tourists, 

Baveno (Inns : Believue, new, hand- 
somely fitted up, and well kept ; Poste, 
improved : both belong to the same 
proprietor. Travellers are advised to 
fix beforehand the prices of rooms, 
meals, &c ). The view of the lake from 
Baveno is fine, though not superior to 
that from many other points on its 
shores. The main source of attraction 
here is the neighbourhood of the Bor~ 
romean Islands, which have acquired a 
reputation even greater than their de - 
serts. They may, however, be equally 
well visited from Stresa, or even from 
Pallanza (§ 31). The islands are four 
in number. Of these, the smallest 
— Isola di S. Giovanni — is unimportant, 
and the Isola dei Pescatori, nearest to 
Baveno, though picturesque from a 
distance, does not gain by a nearer 
acquaintance. The Isola Madre, half- 
way between Baveno and Pallanza, is a 
garden partly planted with orange and 
lemon trees on formal terraces, and in 
part laid out in the English style. It is 
interesting from the variety of exotic 
plants that here flourish in the open air, 
though partially protected in winter. 
The agave attains a great size, and 
many Australian and Indian trees and 
shrubs seem to grow freely in sheltered 
spots. Fee to the gardener, 1 fr. 

The chief resort of strangers is the 
Isola Bella. The palace of the Bor- 
romeo family, commenced on a scale of 
regal grandeur, remains incomplete. 
The state rooms are exhibited to stran- 
gers, but there is not much worthy of 
notice, and the pictures are, almost 
without exception, of the later Lom- 
bard school. The collection includes 50 



348 



PENNINE ALPS. § 21. SIMPLON DISTRICT. 



landscapes by Tempesta, who here found 
hospitality and a secure retreat when 
pursued by the ministers of the law for 
the murder of his wife. The greater 
part of the island, originally bare rock, 
was about 2 centuries ago converted 
into a garden formed of 10 terraces, 
rising one above the other in successive 
stages to a height of about 130 ft. above 
the lake. At an enormous expense of 
labour and money, soil was carried from 
the shores of the lake, and arrange- 
ments contrived, not only for protecting 
many of the plants in winter, but for 
applying artificial heat through subter- 
ranean passages. The result has been 
so far successful, that many plants and 
trees, not seen elsewhere so far north, 
here grow luxuriantly, and the effect of 
the rich vegetation, combined with the 
beautiful views of the lake and the sur- 
rounding mountains, must satisfy all 
but the most fastidious. Critics who 
complain of the want of simplicity and 
naturalness may fairly be answered that 
the island looks to be what it is — a crea- 
tion of art — and that on no other terms 
would it be possible, in such a position, 
to obtain the object in view. There is 
a good inn (Delfino) on the island, close 
to the palace. It is convenient for those 
going and returning by steamer, but is 
too small for the number of visitors, and 
often full. 

The charges for boats at Baveno are 
exorbitant. Going to Isola Bella and 
returning, 5 fr. ; for a short row, or 
going to the steamer, 2.50 fr. ; steam- 
boat passengers to or from the Delfino 
Hotel pass free of charge. 

About 2 m. S. of Baveno is Stresa, 
where there is an inn (Albergo Reale), 
said to be comfortable and reasonable. A 
new and larger inn was building here, 
1862. Aloug this part of the lake 
Struthiopteris germanica is not uncom- 
mon. For the excursion to the Monte 
Motterone see next Rte. The next 
village is Belgirate (Inn : Alb. del Porto 
Franco). From this place to Arona 
the shore of the lake is thickly studded 
with villas. Near the next village, 
Lesa, is that of the poet ManzonL 



Farther on is Meina, and 3 m. beyond 
it 

Arona (Inns : Italia ; Posta ; both 
tolerably good and not cheap), a thriv- 
ing town, the present terminus of the 
rly. to Novara, and the chief port 
for the lake steamers. These ply each 
way three times daily in summer, and 
most travellers arriving from Domo 
d'Ossola at Baveno, Stresa, or Pallanza, 
prefer to continue their route by steamer. 
In approaching the town the traveller 
has passed below the colossal statue of 
San Carlo Borromeo, standing on a fiat- 
topped hill, which forms a natural ter- 
race parallel to the shore of the lake, 
\ hr.'s walk from Arona. The pedestal 
is 46 ft. high, and the statue 66 ft. ; in 
all, 112 ft. Some zealous sight-seers 
climb up into the head of the statue, 
partly by ladders and partly inside the 
figure, and, after sitting down in the in- 
side of the nose, scramble down again. 

From Arona 4 trains go daily to 
Alessandria, and after a short delay 
passengers may proceed thence to 
Genoa. At Novara these trains meet 
the line from Turin to Milan, belong- 
ing to another company. As railway 
managers never scruple to sacrifice their 
own interest when they hope thereby to 
damage a rival line, the passengers by 
all the trains to Milan, and most of those 
to Turin, are forced to wait 2 or 3 hrs. 
at the Novara station. The practical 
effect is to shut out the wealthy in- 
habitants of Milan from resorting to 
the shores of the Lago Maggiore. 

The Lago Maggiore is described in 
§31. 

A glance at the map shows that, irre- 
spective of the windings of the roadway 
necessary to surmount the steep slopes, 
the road of the Simplon makes a great 
detour round the W. and S. sides of the 
Monte Leone, whereas the direct way 
from Brieg to Domo would lie by the 
NE. side of that peak and along the 
Val Cherasca, which joins the Val Vedro 
below Isella. The Passo di Forchetta 
appears to be a direct way from Berisal 
to the head of the Val Cherasca. If not 
very difficult, it is probably well known 



ROUTE B. MONTE MOTTERONE. 



349 



to the smugglers of that valley ; but it 
does not appear to have attracted the 
attention of Alpine travellers. 



Route B. 

DOMO D'OSSOLA TO ARONA, BY ORTA. 

The Lake of Orta, described in § 20, 
Rte, K, is closely connected with the 
road of the Simplon, and may conve- 
niently be taken in the way to Arona, 
either by the carriage-traveller or the 
pedestrian. From Gravellona (Rte. A), 
nearly 20 m. from Domo, a good road 
runs along the 1. bank of the Strona to 
Omeyna (§ 20, Rte. M), a distance of 5 
m. Thence to Orta is an agreeable 
drive along the lake of about 6^ m., 
or a rather less distance by boat ; charge, 
with one rower, 2 fr. From Orta to 
Arona it was formerly necessary to 
make a long detour by Borgomanero, 
but a new carriage-road has been com - 
pleted, hilly but commanding fine views. 
By this way the distance from Gravel- 
lona to Arona is not more than 24 m. 

A far more interesting way, enabling 
the traveller to enjoy the finest parts of 
both routes to Arona, with the addition of 
a first-rate view, is by the Monte Motte- 
rone, or Mte. Margozzolo, the summit of 
the range dividing the two lakes. It may 
be easily reached from Orta, Omegna, 
Baveno. or Stresa, and no one stopping 
at any of those places should omit the 
ascent. The mountain has been called 
the Italian Righi > a title which better 
belongs to the Monte Generoso(§ 39). 
The panorama is, indeed, very beautiful, 
and not unworthy to rank near to its 
Swiss rival ; but the mountain is in it- 
self far less interesting, the relief of the 
surface is less varied, the brilliant 
colouring of the Alpine pastures is not 
seen here, and a great part of the sur- 
face is occupied by meagre stunted 
heather, wherein shades grey and brown 



predominate. The traveller wishing to 
enjoy the view, and to visit both the 
lakes, will do best to turn aside from the 
Simplon road at Gravellona and sleep 
at Orta (§ 20, Rte. K). Thence the 
Motterone is easily reached in 3j hrs., 
passing the hamlets of Masino and Che- 
gino. Those who avail themselves of 
donkeys, which are kept for the ascent, 
may allow J hr. longer time. It is 
advisable to start very early, and so 
increase the chance of a clear view ; 
but should clouds come on, and there be 
no chance of perseverance being re- 
warded, on reaching a. sign-post with the 
inscription, ' Alia Cima del Motterone' 
the traveller instead of following the 
track to the summit may keep straight 
on over the shoulder of the mountain, 
and so save 1^ hr. in his morning's 
walk. 

In one respect the panorama from the 
summit (4,817') is superior to that from 
the Righi, as the peaks of Monte Rosa 
and the Saas Grat are here nearer at 
hand, and better seen than the Bernese 
Oberland range is from the Swiss 
mountain. These mighty summits are 
followed by the Weissmies and the 
Monte Leone, succeeded by a crowd of 
lower summits chiefly belonging to the 
Canton of Tessin. Between NE. and E. 
the more distant range of the Bernina 
shows its snowy peaks, and still farther 
off a glacier-clad mass is distinguished 
which is often pointed out as the Orteler 
Spitze, and sometimes as the Oetzthaler 
Alps. This is the range of the Ada- 
mello, between the Val Camonica and 
the Val Rendena (§ 41), about 100 
m. distant from the observer. The 
vast plain of Lombardy and Piedmont 
is in clear weather bounded by the 
Apennine, and towards the W. by 
the Cottian Alps, crowned by the 
peak of Monte Viso. The charac- 
teristic beauty of the view depends, 
however, on the two lakes which, 
between them, all but surround the 
mountain, and one advantage of making 
the ascent from Orta is in the additional 
charm of this first view of the Lago 
Maggiore, which remains in sight 



350 



PENNINE ALPS. § 21. SIMPLON DISTRICT. 



during the greater part of the descent. I 
The lakes of Varese, Comabbio, Bian- 
drone, and Monate, though not promi- 
nent, are interesting objects in the pano- 
rama. The descent to Baveno is 
shorter and steeper than that to Stresa, 
hut either may be easily reached in 
2t| hrs. In fine weather a person well 
used to mountain walking will not ab- 
solutely require a guide, but when the 
clouds lie low it is extremely difficult 
for a stranger to find his way over the 
undulating ridges of the mountain. 
Charge for a guide, 5 fr. 



Route C. 

SAAS TO THE SI3IPLON HOSPICE — AS- 
CENT OF THE FLETSCHHOKS". 

The lofty chain lying between the I 
valley of Saas and the road of the 
Simpion is far from being completely I 
explored, though better known than j 
formerly, owing to the successful expe- 
ditions referred to in this and the fol- 
lowing Rtes. 

The highest summit in the range is 
the Weissmies (1 3,2250, immediately E. j 
of Saas. N of the Weissmies, and but 
a few feet lower, is the F/etschhom, 
which when seen from the Bernese Alps, 
or the Italian valleys, shows as a single 
peak, but in fact includes two summits 
separated by a deep and impassable in- 
terval of rock and glacier. The higher 
of these, properly called Laquinhorn 
(13.170'), was first ascended in 1856 
"by Mr. Ames and three English com- 
panions, with Herr Imseng, late cure of 
Saas, and four guides. An account of 
the expedition is -given in the first series 
of ' Peaks, Passes, and Glaciers. 5 The 
other peak, standing a little N. of the 
last, is the Rossbodenhorn (13,084' ). This 
was attained several years ago by a Swiss 
traveller, who started from the Hospice 
of the Simpion, and reached the sum- 
mit by way of the Rossboden Glacier. 

In regard to passes over this part 



of the range, scarce any information 
has come to hand. It is certain that a 
way has once or twice been found across 
the glaciers on the N. side of the Ross- 
bodenhorn by which the village of 
Simpem has been reached from Saas. 
The writer obtained some information 
on the subject at the Simpion Hospice 
in 1840, from the then Prior, but the 
latene c s of the season and a heavy fall 
of fresh snow prevented his attempt- 
ing the pass. He believes that the as- 
cent was made on the Saas side, from 
near the hamlet of Balen, by the Fletsch- 
liorn Glacier, and the descent on the 
Simpion side by the Rossboden Glacier, 
which is said to be much crevassed. It 
does net appear that any attempt has 
been made to pass direct from Saas to 
Simpeln by the Trift Glacier and the 
ridge connecting the Weissmies and the 
Laquinhorn. If practicable this would 
be a first-rate pass, and the attempt may 
be recommended to adventurous moun- 
taineers. The ascent of the Laquinhorn, 
as described by Mr. Ames, appears to 
be free from serious difficulty. A 
broken ridge of rock descending from 
the summit towards the valley of Saas 
divides two small glaciers which unite 
at its base some way above the Trift 
Alp. Crossing the glacier to the foot 
of the ridge the summit is reached 
bv steady climbing for about 3i hrs. 
The view is, of course, very grand, but, 
perhaps, not quite equal to that from 
the Weissmies ^Rte. D). 



Route D. 

SAAS TO ISELLA, BY THE ZWISCH- 

BERGEX PASS ASCENT OF THE 

WEISS3IIES. 

On the S. side of the Weissmies, 
and between that mountain and the 
rugged range of the Portien Grat. is a 
depression in the main chain, giving a 
passage from Saas into Piedmont 



ROUTE E. VAL BUGNANCO. 



351 



through the narrow valley of Zwisch- 
bergen, which joins the Val Vedrojust 
above the village of Gondo. Though 
high and rather long, requiring 11 hrs. 
from Saas to Isella, this pass is free 
from difficulty, so that for a practised 
mountaineer, and in fine weather, a 
guide is not indispensable. As men- 
tioned in § 20, Rte. N, the Lehmbach 
torrent joins the Visp at Alnmgell, less 
than 1 hr. above Saas. Following the 
stream, the pass is clearly seen through- 
out the greater part of the ascent, 
which lies over grassy slopes. Towards 
the top are considerable patches of 
snow, and in 4^ hrs. from Saas the 
traveller reaches the summit of the 
Zwischbergen Pass (10,742'). 'The 
view is superb, that to the N. alone 
being concealed by the intervening 
mass of the Weissmies. It comprises 
the most perfect view that I have seen 
of the chain of the SaasGrat, extending 
to Monte Rosa, a large section of the 
Lago Maggiore, and endless ranges of 
mountains eastward, far away into the 
Tyrol.'— [A. M.] 'The ridge of the 
pass is very sharp, and falls steeply on 
the NE. side to a glacier. This is 
easily reached, however, by some snow- 
slopes on its N. bank. Following 
this, until it is possible to take to the 
moraine near the foot of the glacier, on 
gaining the highest pastures a track 
will be found.' — [L. S.J The descent 
through the Zwischbergen valley is 
long, but it lies through fine scenery. 
At the village of Zwischbergen gold 
was formerly obtained, by washing the 
sand and gravel brought down by the 
torrent, and it is said that particles are 
often seen, though the quantity is 
trifling. In 6j hrs.' steady walking 
from the pass the traveller may reach 
Isella (Rte. A). 

The first ascent of the Weissmies is 
said to have been made by a Swiss 
traveller. The summit was reached 
in 1B59 by the Rev. Leslie Stephen 
and Mr. Hinchjiff. It appears for its 
height (13,225') to be easy of access, 
and admirably situated for a panoramic 
view. 



6 The ascent begins directly behind 
Saas, and leads over grass up to near 
a point marked Trifthorn by Studer. 
Here it is necessary to leave the ridge 
and keep along the rocks on the cliffs 
facing the S. They are remarkably 
sound and firm rocks. The ridge is 
again struck at the point where it 
becomes capped with snow, and along 
this snowy ridge it is easy to reach the 
summit. A good many steps might 
occasionally have to be cut. The 
ascent requires about 8 hrs., and the 
descent, bein<r shortened by glissades, 
4 hrs.'— [L. S.] 



Route E. 

SAAS TO DOMO D'oSSOLA, BY THE VAL 
BUGNANCO. 

This Rte. is merely indicated here 
in default of information, with a view 
to point out a way which may be both 
convenient and interesting, and which 
certainly deserves to be explored. The 
Val Bugnanco, descending due E., close 
to the town of Domo d'Ossola, origi- 
nates in a range of mountains connected 
with the Portien Gra% which divides it 
from the head of the Zwischbergen 
valley described in the last Rte. Ac- 
cording to the Swiss Federal map, it 
appears that one pass, leading across 
the above-mentioned range, connects 
the upper parts of the two valleys, and 
that another pass, apparently a low 
one. leads into the upper part of the 
Val Bugnanco from Cheggio in the N. 
branch of the Val Antrona. It is 
apparent from the map that if either 
of these two passes be easy, and do 
not involve a long ascent, the Val 
Bugnanco must afford the shortest and 
most direct way from Saas to Domo 
d Ossola ; probably the only way that 
can conveniently be accomplished in a 
single day's walk. 



352 



PENNINE ALPS. § 



21. SDIPLON DISTRICT. 



Of the Val Bugnanco the editor has 
no information save from the reports of 
one or two naturalists who have visited 
it from Domo. Several rare plants, and 
amongst them the Valeriana Saliunca, 
have been found here. 



Route F. 

SAAS TO DOMO D'oSSOLA, BY THE VAL 
ANTRONA. 

The Val Antrona, is a rather con- 
siderable valley which joins the Val 
d'Ossola rather more than 1 hr. below 
Domo. It is very sinuous, especially 
at the upper end, where it divides into 
two branches, which unite at the village 
of Antrona Piano. At least three 
passes lead from the Saas Thai into 
the Val Antrona. Information, how- 
ever, is very scanty in respect to all of 
them. 

1. The northernmost of these passes, 
which may be called Almagell Joch, as 
it passes near the Ahnagellhorn, is 
reached through the glen of the Lehm- 
bach by the path from Almagell 
noticed in Rte. D. It crosses the main 
chain to the S. of the Portien Grat, at 
the head of the Rothplatt Glacier. On 
the E. side it leads into the upper end 
of the N. branch of the Val Antrona, 
which describes a long curve of horse- 
shoe form before joining the S. branch 
of the same valley at the village of 
Antrona Piano. From Cheggio, which 
is apparently about 2 m. N. of the 
last-named village, a track leads to the 
Val Bugnanco (last Rte.) over the 
ridge W. of the Monte Cardo, and 
probably affords the most direct way 
to Domo d'Ossola. 

2. The most frequented way from 
Saas to the Val Antrona is by the 
Fur age Thai, which joins the Saas 
Thai at Z'meigern, about ^ hr. above 



| Almagell. This is called the Saas 
j Pass, and remains of a paved track 
I show that at one time it must have 
been a frequented route. The way 
lies in part over the Furgge Glacier, 
but is free from difficulty. N. of the 
col, and perhaps 1,000 ft. higher, there 
is a projecting point called Latelhom 
(Ahnenhorn of Federal map ?). 

* This commands a most superb view 
over the entire range of the Alps from 
Monte Rosa to the Tyrol, with the 
subordinate ranges of Piedmont, Tessin, 
and Lombardy. This point is new ; 
it is probably not above 10,000 ft, hut 
easy of access. Horses can go within 
1-J hr., or less, of the top; and the 
remainder of the ascent, except just 
the horn itself, for some 200 ft, is easy. 
There are beds of snow, but no ice to 
cress. By a tolerable walker the ex- 
cursion from Saas and back may be 
made in 10 hrs., allowing 1 hr. on the 
top, and i hr. for refreshment.' - [M.] 
The descent on the Piedmontese 
side is very steep, but free from ice. 
The track follows the sinuous course 
of the Ovesca or Oyasca torrent. To 
the rt, near the head of the valley, a 
path leads to Vanzone in the Val 
Anzasca by the Passo di S. Martino. 
The village of Antrona Piano, where 
the M. branch of the valley joins the 
main S. branch, is about half-way from 
the summit of the pass to Villa, where 
the valley opens into the Val d'Ossola. 
Below the principal village a path leads 
to Ponte Grande (§ 20, Rte. F) by the 
Passo di Lavazzera (5,863'). 

3. A glacier pass, called Passo 
Antigine, lies at the head of the short 
wild glen of the Ofenthal, which opens 
due E. a little above the Mattmark 
See. On the Italian side the way lies 
NE., until, at the head of the main 
branch of the Val Antrona, it joins the 
track from the Saas Pass. 

Further information respecting the 
passes in this and the last-mentioned 
Rte. is much desired. 



INDICES. 

PAGE 

INDEX TO THE PEAKS OE MOUNTAINS 355 

INDEX TO THE MOUNTAIN PASSES 359 

GENERAL INDEX 363 



A A 



INDEX 

TO 

THE PEAKS OE MOUNTAINS. 



AJBI 

ABISSO, Rocca dell' (9,1930, 3 
Ailefroide, Pic d' (12,877'?), 76, 78 
Albaron, Mont, 141, 144 
Allaleinhorn (13,235'), 295, 338 
Allee Blanche, 197 
Allee Blanche, Aiguille de 1', 197 
Almagellhorn, 352 
Alpette (6,040'), 94 
Alphubel (13,8030, 295 
Ambin, Mont d', 58 

Apparei, Grand (nearly 12,0000, 163, 171 
Archies, Pic des (13,4 20, 78 
Argentine, Aiguille d' (13,1860, 222 
Arolla, Pigne d' (12,471'), 259, 269 
Arpitetta Alp, 283 
Arve, Aiguille d', 61 
Arzinol, Pic d', 279 
Assaly, Grand, 166 
Augstbordhorn (9,7850 , 290 
Avril, Mont (10,9610, 260 
Ayer, Aiguille d', 184 
Azy, Mont d\ 92 



BAL, Cima di (9,354'), 18 
Balferin (12,402'), 292, 293, 344 
Balmenhorn (13,927'), 295, 300 
Barrhorn (11,919'), 289 
Beauges Mountains, 105 
Belledone (9,7 0'), 99 
Belleface, peak of the, 164 
Belvedere, peak of the, 164 
Belvedere, the, 320 
Berard, Grand (9,9970, 12 
Berenger, Aiguille de, 204 
Bertol, Dents de (12,412'), 265, 277, 281 
Besso, Lo, 283 
Bianco, Pizzo, 320 
Bionnassay, Aiguille de, 195, 205 
Bisanne, 134 

Blaitiere, Aiguille de (12,097'), 191 

Blanc de Cheillon, Mont (12,700'), 273, 280 

Blanc, Mont, 175 

Blanc, Rocher (9,6160,71 

B6, Cima di, 331 

Boeufs Rouges, Crete des (11,978'), 82 
Bonhomme, Tete du, 135, 196 
Bonnavaux. Dent, de, 234 
Bonvoisin, Pic (11,5030, 83 
Borterhorn (9,745'), 288 
Bossons, Bee de (10,368'), 287 
Boucs, Trouma des (11.1490 , 269 
Bougy, Signal de (2,730'), 245 
Bourreau, Chateau, peak of, 126 
Boussine, Tour de, 259 



COT 

Brame Farine (3,9830, 96 

Breithorn (13,685'), 296, 306 

Breona, Couronne de (10,382'), 277, 281 

Bievent, the, 193 

Brezon (6,031'), 181 

Broglia, Mont, 197 

Bruscheg^horn (12,618'), 289, 292 

Budri, Roc de (10,303'), 290 

Buet, ascent of the, 231 

By, Tete de, 264 



CARMEL, Mont (9,057O» 201, 255 
Carrel, Pic, 153 
Casse, Grand (12,780'), 110, 123 
Castor, 314 

Catogne, Mont (8,461'), 220, 250 
Cenis, Petit Mont, 53 
Cervin, Mont, 306 
Cerxin, Pt-tit Mont (12,749'), 306 
Chabenon, Mont (10,258'), 40 
Chalanches, 68 

Chan.beyron, Aiguille de (11,155'), 10, 15 
Chamechaude (6,8470, 103 
Chamo: ni, Les Aiguilles de, 191 
Chanrousse (7,372'), 98 
Chape«u, th^, 189 
Chardonnet, Aiguille de, 222 
Charforon, Cima di, 151, 158 
Charlanoz, Aiguille de, 192 
Charmoz, Aiguille de (1< ,951'), 191 
Charnier, Grand (8,4120, 72 
Charvm, Mont (7,920'), 130 
Chat, Dent du, 92 
Chat, Mont du, 92 

Cheillon, Moi t Blanc de (12,7000, 273, 280 
Chenalettaz, Mont, 251 
Chetif, Mont, 200 

Cnevriere, Roche (10,765'), 122, 125 
Ciamarella, Punta di, 144 
Cimes Blanches, 324 
Civrari, Mont (7,261'), 147 
Clapier, Mont, (10,433'), 3 
Cocagna, La, 151, 158 
Cogne, Corne de, or Grivola, 151 
Co i Ion, Mont (12,264') , 277 
Collon, Crete a, 269 
Colombier, Munt (4,733'), 91 
Colone, 229 

Combetta, Pointe de, 328 
Combin, Grand (14,164'), 260 
Combin de Corbassiere, 261, 262 
Corbassiere, Becca de (8,891'), 258 
Cornier. Grand (13,0;2'), 281 
Cote, Montagne de la, 210 



356 



INDEX TO THE 



COTT 

Courtes, Les, 191 

Counes, Tour des (12,119'), 222 

Couvercle, rocks of the, 190 

Cramont, the, 200 

Credo. (5,328'). 177 

Crolles, Dent de (6,778'), 94 

Cry, Havit de (9.698'). 342 

Cugulion des trois Eveques, mountain of, 20 



DAMES. Chateau des, 268 
Dent Blanche (14,318'), 282 
Derochoir. 184 

Doable, Roc du (about 8,200'), H2 
Diablons, the U 1,836'), 290 
Distel Alp, 335 
Dole, La (5,nl9'), 180 
Doleot, Mont (12.566'), 221 
Dom, the (14,935'), 303, 339 
Dorees, Aiguilles, 224 
Dormill use (10.571'), 86 
Dreizehntenhorn (10,522'), 290 



EBIHORN, the, 286 
Kcrins, Point des (13,462'), 76, 78, 79 
Elions, Trois (11,519'), 61 
Elva, Pelvo di (10.056'), 12 
Emilius, Mont, 155 
Enchastraye, Mont (9,747'), 12 
Encombres, Roc des (9,252'.), 126 
Encula. Crete de I', 79 
End, Nord (15,132'), 295, 299 
Enfer, Roc d', 240 

Epine, Mont de 1', (about 4,000'), 104 
Etoile, Monti', 130, 131 
Eveches, Pic des Trois (10,236'), 42 
Eynard, Mont St., 94 



FER, Croix de, 217, 229 
Feuillette, Croix de, 113 
Flege; e. Croix de (6,260 ), 192 
Fletschhorn, 350 
Fleury, Mont, 133 
Follau, Les, 261 
Fond, Grand, Aiguille du, 135 
Four, I'ointe du, 135 
Frene, Pic du ^9,203'), 72 
Fretes. Croix de, 117 
Fretes, Chaine des s 182 
Frioland. Mont, 34 
Fys, Rochers des, 184, 229 

GABELHORN, Ober (13.363'), 305 
, Unter (11,149'), 305 

Galibier, Roche du Grand (10,637'), 42 

Galoppaz, Mont, 107 

Gasenriedhorn (14,219'), 310 

Geant, Aiguihe du (13.099'), 188 

Gelas, Gma dei (10.433'). 3, 9 

Gele, Mont (11,539'), 260, 269, 270 

Gemstei i, 326 

Genevre. Mnnt, 39 

Glacier, Aiguille du (12,011'), 197 

Glet>cher Alp, 334 

Glevzin (9,275'), 72 

Gliere, Aiguille de la, 193 

Goile, Le Grand (10.630'), 221 

Goleon, Pic de (11.250'), 61 

Gorner Grat (10,290'), 296 



MET 

Goute, Dome du (13,294'?), 210 
Goute, Aiguille du (12,530'), 210, 215 
Grarleneire, 261 

Grahaupt, or Graues Haupt, 325 
Grammont the, 238 
Granier, Mont, 93, 94 
Grenairon. 233 
Grenier, Mont, 34 

Greppond, Aiguill^ de (12,044'), 191 
Grevu, Mont (8,497'), 226 
Griffon, Points du, 229 
Grivola, ascent of the, 151 
Guercia, Monte della, 12 



HANNIG Alp, 293 
Herens, Dent d', 265 
Hochste Snitze (15,217'), 295, 298 
Ho htha igrat (10.791'), 296, 297 
Hohps Licht (1 1,633'), 311 
Hornli (9,492'), 301 



ILLHORN (8,939'),288 1 
Internet, Mont (7.808''), 40 
Iseran, Mont (13.271'), 115 



JALLOUVRE, 134 
Jaman, Dent de, 248 
Jazi, Cima de (12,527'), 297 
Jazie Becca de, 257 
Joderhorn, 335. 341 
Joli, Mont (8,760'), 129, 130 
Jorasses, Granules (13,496'), 188, 221 
Jorat, Mont, 246 
Jovet, Mont, 196 
Jura mountains, 180 



K 



UPPE, Signal (14,964'), 296, 300 



L ACHAT, Mont, 195 1 
Lance, Grand (9,246'), 95, 99 
Latelhorn, 352 

Lavina, Punta di (10,824' ?), 148, 149 
Levanna, ascent of the. 141 
Linleux. Pic dp (6,181'), 239 
Loccie, Cima del, 296 
Loccie, Monte delle, 323 
Longet, Col de, 2 
Ludwigshohe, (14.187* J, 295, 300 
Lyskamm (14,889';, 296, 300 



M 



ARGERIA. Mont, 107 
Margozzolo, Monte, or Monte Motterone, 

349 

Mary, Pointe Haute de (10.537'), 15 

Mas de la Grave, Pic du (9,917'), 67 

Massa, Pointe de, 125 

Matterhorn 301, 306 

Matto, Monte (10,230'), 7 

Maudit, Mont, or Aiguille de Saussure, 210 

Mazzucone. Monte, 333 

Meije, or Aiguille du Midi de la Grave (13,081'), 

78, 85 
Meiry, Mont, 134 
Melon, Roche, 52 
Merlet, Becca di, 158 
Mettelhorn (11,188'), 302 



PEAKS OR MOUNTAINS. 



357 



MET! 

Meunier, Mont (9,318'), 18 

Miage, Aiguille de, 204 

Midi, Aiguille cm (12,822'), 191, 210 

Mid«, Dent du, 234 

Mirantin, Mont, 134 

Mischabelhorner, peaks of the, 295, 303, 339 

Moine, Aiguille du (11,109'), 188 

Mole (6.128'), 181 

Morning 03,855'), 302 

Montanvers, the, 187 

Montets, Les (5,037'). 218 

Moi etan, Grand (8,888'), 72 

Morgen, the, 321 

Moro, Monte, 321, 333 

Mort, Mont (9.4C3'), 251 

Mossetta, Pointe de (7,53fi')» 242 

Motterone, Monte, or Monte Margozzolo, 349 

Moudhorn, 32«J, 330 

Muande, La, 43 

Mulets, Grands, 210, 213 



NADELGRAT, 340 
Naye, Rocher de, 248 
Neige. Pic du (11,861'), 84 
Nivolet, Dent de (4,597'), 93, 107 
Noble, Mont (8,776'), 276 
Noir, Glacier, passage to, 76 
Noire, La, rocks of, 207 
Nona, Becca di (about 10,384'), 153, 154 



OCHE, Dent d' (8,010'), 238 
Oi>eau, Bel, 218 
Olan, Pic d' (11,739'), 88 
Omo, Cima dell', 15 
Ondezana, Pic d', 157 
Orches, Pointe des (13,107'). 22 
Ormelune (10,«33'), 113, 170 
Otemma, Pic d' (11,513'), 260, 269 



PAIN de Sucre, 253 
Palavas, Mont, 34 
Paradis, Grand (about 13,300'), ascent of the, 
159, 160 

Parassee, Dent (12,1370, HO, 122, 125 
Parmelan (6,007'), 132 
Parrot Spitze (14,577'), 295, 300 
Pela, Mont (10,500'), 19 
Pelouze, Point de (*,153'), 229 
Pelvoux, Mont (12,973'), 76, 78 
Periades, Les, or Aiguille de Tacul (11,013'), 
188 

Perron, Gros, 218 

Peter et, Mont, 197 

Peyron, Clapier du (10.407'), 74 

Pierre, Tour du Grand St. (12,064'), 150 

Pierre a Voir (8,124'), 250, 257 

Pile Alp, 316, 323 

Pisse, Cima del. 323 

Pizzo Bianco, 296, 320 

Pizzo, Cima del, 296 

Plan, Aiguille do (11,689'), 191 

Platei, Aiguille de, 184 

Pleureur, Mont (12.1590, 258 

Plines, Pointe des (12,835'), 224 

Pollux (13,43,/), 309, 310 

Ponton. Tour de, 157 

Portiengrat, 350 

Poset:es, the, 219 

Poucet, Le, rocks of, 150 

Pourri, Mont (12,491'), 110 



TAS 

Pourri, Mont, ascent of the, 118 
Prarion. the (6,857'), 195 
Proz, Cantine de (5,912'), 251 



RATEAU (12,317'), 85 
Re, Cret du, 136 
Reculet, the, 180 
Riffel, the, 296 
Riffelhorn (9,616'), 296, 297 
Rioburent, Grand (11,142 ), 10, 16 
Rochenere, peak of, 126 
Rosa, Monte, ascent of, 298 

secondary peaks ot, 299 

tour of Monte Rosa, by the high glacier 

passes (§ 20, Rte G), 322 
Rossbodenhom (13,084'), 344, 350 
Rossere, Grande (10,9040, 199, 254, 255 
Rothhorn, the. 3U0 

Ober (11,214'),300 

Unter (10,191'),300 

Rouge, Mont, 197 
Rouges, Rocher, 213 
Rouin tte (12,7270, 273 
Roussa, Aiguille de la, 146 
Rousse, Pointe, 166 
Rousselette, 135 
Roubses, Grandes, 61 
Ruan. Mont, 234 
Ruitor peaks, 163 

ascent of the, 166 

Rymprischhorn (13,790'), 295, 304 
Rympfischvvang, 304 



SAAS Grat,336 
Sailliere, Tour (10,5870, 234 
Saleve, the, 180 
Salles, Point de (10,433'), 229 
Salles, Pointe de, 230 
Sasseniere ( 0,6920, 277, 287 
S -ssiere, Aiguille de la (12,343'), 114, 163 
Saussm e, Aiguille de, or Mont Maudit, 210 
Sauvage, Grand ( 1 1,395';, 70 
Saxe, Mont de la, 201 
Scah tta, Monte della (9,508'), 12 
Schwarzhorn (14,092'), 295, 300 
Seira, Rocca (5,006'), 9 
Semnoz, Mont (about 5,900'), 108 
Semi, Haut du, 94 
Silvio, Mont, 306 
Simmelihorn, 344 
Sismonda, Signal (8,353'), 155 
Som, Grand (6,6600, 102 
Somman, Mont, 240 
Staftelberg, 316 
Stella, Monte della, 7 
Stockhorn (l 1,595'), 296 
Stralhorn (13,750'), 295 
Swarzhorn (9,594'), 290 



TABOR, Mont (10,436'), 43 
Tacul, the, 187 
Tacul, Aiguille de, also called Les Periades 

(11,013'), 188 
Tacul, Mont Blanc du, 210 
Talefre, Aiguille de, 190 
Taliaferro, 329 
Taillat (4,558'), 96 
Tailleter (9,3870, 65 
Taret, Mont, 144 
Taschhorn (14,758'), 304, 33S 



358 



INDEX TO THE PEAKS OR MOUNTAINS. 



TEL 

Telchenhorn, 323 

Tenneverges, Pointe de, 227 

Tersiva, Punta di, 327 

Theodulhorn (11 391'), 306 

Tinibras, Mont ( 0,22 /), 12 

Tola, Bell* (9,9290. 2*8 

Torches, Curie des (9,7020, 67 

Tondu, the. 203 

Tounot (9,921 ), 289 

Tour Noire. 222 

Tournairpt, Mont (fi,805'), 18 

Tournette (7.756'), 131 

Trehtete, Aiguille de (13,845' ?), 197 

Tricot, Aiguille de, 195, 205 

Trifthorn (12.261'), 284 

Triolet, Aiguille de, 187, 222 



-j-JLRICH SHORN (12,8910, 295, 340 



VALLAISAN, peak of the, 164 
Vanoise, Aiguille de la, 122 
Varens, Aiguille de, 183 
Vaudasne, the, 183 
Vaudru (8.7140, 227 
VeTan, Mont, 255 



ZWI 

Venoni, Rocher de (6,106'), 144 

Verau, Aiguille de, 183 

Vergy, Mont. 134 

Verte, Aiguille ( 13,432'), 187, 188 

Vescovadi. Cima dei Qnattro (9,7470, 1 

Vincent Pvramide (13,859'). 295, 300: 

Visivi. Dents de (9,5(:6'>, 277, 281 

Viso, Monte, (1'2,643'), ascent and tour of (§4, 

Rte. B), 27 
Viso. Petit, 27 
Voirons, the, 239 
Vorassay, Mont, 205 
Vouasson, Pic de (11,476'), 274, 279 
Voudeue, 65 
Voudene, Grand, 99 
Vuache, 177 



EISSHORN (14,8040,302 
Weissmies (13,225''), 350 



ZA, Aiguille de la (12,051'), 265, 277 
Zarzpdau, Pointe de, ^65 
Zerbi' n. Mont, 328 
Zumstein Spitze (15,C04'), 295, 300 
Zwillinge, summits of the (13,879' and 13,432/), 
296 



INDEX 

TO 

THE MOUNTAIN PASSES. 



ABO 

ABONDANCE. Col d' (4,629'), 241, 242 
Adler Pass, 338 
Agnel, Col de l\ 3) 
Agnelin, Col de' (§8, Rte. C), 67, 69 
Agnello, Col dell', 33 
Aiguebellette, Col d' (2,995'), 104 
Aiguille Noir, Col de 1\ 42 
Alagna, Bochetta d', 329 
Alberjdan, Col (8,816'), 38 
Allalein Pass, or Tasch Joch, 337 
Allee, Col de l\ 13o, 136 
Almagell Joch, 352 
Alphubel Joch, 337 
Ambin, Col d', 58 
Anna, Col di Sta., (8,009'), H 
Anterne, Col d', (7,612'?), 230 
Antigine, Passo, 352 
Aravis, Col des (4,928'), 133 
Arberon. Col d' (4,987 ), 228 
Arbole, Col d' (about 9,300'), 155 
Arcines. Col d' (7,769'?), 63 
Argentine, Col de V (6.54 V), 12 
Argentiere, Col d' (\ 2,556 ft.?), 221 
Arietta, Col dell', 149 
Arith, village of, 106 
Arnaz, Col d\ 145 
Arolla, Col de la Reuse d\ 271 
Arpignon, Col d' 5 97 
Arpisson, Col d' (about 9,300'), 155 
Arsine, Col d', 84 
Arve, Col d\ 68 
Arzinol, Pas d', 279 
Assieta, Col de 1', 37 
Aussois, Col d', 124, 125 
Autaret, Col de 1\ (§ 2, Rte. D), 16 
Autaret, Col d' (§ 13, Rte. E), 146 
Ayes, Col des, 40 



BAL, Col de (§ 9, Rte. K), 85 
Bal, Col di (§ 3, Rte. B), 18 
Balma, Col de la, 331 
Balme, Col de (7,23i'), 216,217 
Barberine, Col de, 233, '237 
Bardonney, Col de, 148 
Barranca Pass (5,749'), 329, 333 
Basmont, d;l de', 111 
Bassac, Col de, 169. 171 
Bathie, Col de la, 136 
Beaumont. Clot, 87 
Bernard, Little, Pass of the, 163 
Betliner Pass. 324 
Betta Furke, 324 
Bicocca, Col della (7,611'), 14 
Bistenen Pass, 344 



COU 

Blanchet, Col (9,544'), 33 
Boaira. Col di, 4 
Boeuf, Pas du (9.154'), 2*8 
Bonhomme, Col du (8,195'), 194 
Bouquet ins, Col des, 278 
Bourbiere, Col d j , 72 
Bousson, Col de (7,006'), 41 
Bovinant, Col de, 103 
Braus, Colde (3,300'), 6 
Breona, Col de (9,574'), 286 
Brouis, Col de, 6 
Buffa, Col de la, 133 



CAMPELLO, Col di (about 6,00 3 
Carcoforo, Bocchetta di, 330 
Carro, Col de, 142 
Cavales, Col des, 76 
Celar, Col du, 83 
Cerese, C>1 della (8.412'), 8 
Chaberton, Col de, 40 
Chacette, Col de la, 108 
Champery, Col de, 242 
Champey, Col de, 219, 220 
Champorcher, Col di, 153 
Champs, Col des, 19 
Chardon, Col de, 83 
Charmette, Col de la, 103 
Chat, Col du Mont du (2,0700, 92 
Chatel, Col du (9.433'), 286 
Chaviere. Col de, 121, 125 
Checruir, Col de, 200 
Cherel, Col de, 109 
Chermomane, Col de, 272 
Cheserv, Col de, 242 
Chevalieret, Col de (9,247'), 35 
Chevre, Pas de. 274 
Cialmetta, Col di, 147 
Clapier, Col du (8,107'), 53, 57 
Clou, Col du, 170 
Cluse, Pas de la, 106 
Coche, Col de la, 70 
Cochetta, Col de la, 106 
Cochette, Col de la, 103 
Cogne, Col de la Combe de, 152 
Cogne, Fenetre de (about 8,860'), 156 
C >i, Haut du, 134 
Collariu, Col du, 144 
Collon, Col de ( 10,269'), 275, 278 
Colma, Col di, 332 
Corisev, Col de, 331 
Cormet, Col du, 136 
Corneilla, Col de, 125 
Couard, Col de, 70 
Courgnier, Col, 268 



360 



INDEX TO THE 



COU 

Coux, Col de. (about 6,400'), 234, 242 
Crete Seche, Col de, 270 
Cristillan, Col de, (9.771'). 32 
Croce di Ferro, Col d 11a, 147 
Crocetta, Col della, 143 
Croix de Fer, Col de la, 69 
Croix, Col de la (8,392'), 71 
Crous, Col de (8,316'), 18 
Cula, Col de la, (10,076'), 31 



DENT BLANCHE, Col de la, or Col Du- 
rand, 285 
Derochoir, Col du, 230 
Dobbia, Col di Val, 328 
Dora Blanche, ( 1 1,668'), 281 
Dormillouse, Col de, 20 
Da rand, Col, or Col de la Dent Blanche, 285 
Dza, Colde, 269 



ECHAUD, Col de V (8,058'), 231 
Eehelie , Col des, (5,873'), 39 
E helles, Col des, 125 
Ecrins, Col des, 79 
Egu a, Col d' (7,388'), 329 

E naney, Col d\ 237 
En:ombres, Col des, 126 
En:reveroes, Cold', 108 
Escombailles, Col des, 99 

Etablon, Col d\ 258 
EtiacheS, Col d\ 58 
Eyssalette, Col de 1' (8,271'), 20 



FAUCILLE. Col de la (4,374'), 180 
Feille. Col de, 107 
Fenetre, Colde la (§ % Rte. B\ 37 
Feneire, Col de la (§ 18, Rte. B), 254, 257, 260 
Fenetre, Encla e de la, 135 
Ferrex, Col de (8,716'), 220, 221 
Ferrex, Petit, 220 
Fine>tre, C -1 delle, 3 
Finistre, Col delle, (8,189'), 10 
Fond, Col de la Montee du, 49, 126 
Fond, Col du, 116 
Forchetta, Pa-so di. 348 
Forclaz, Col de la. (4,952'), 202 
Forclaz pass, (4.997'), 217 
Focletta, P ts de la (9,898'), 290 
Four, Haut du, 108 
Fou^ Col des (§ 12, Rte. D), 133 
Fours, Col des (8,892'), (§ 16, Rte. B), 197 
F i os i, Col di, 4 
Frapier, Col, 38 
Frecne, Col de la, 47, 97 
Frejus, Col de, 45 

Frene, Pas du, or Col des Pierres, 72 
.rrene, Col du, 102, 108 



GAILLETTA, Colde, 171 
Galambre, Col de, (10,200'), 58 
Galese, Col de, 157 
Galibier. Col de, 42 
Garin, Col de, ( lf,H93'), 156 
Geant, Col du. 201, 206 
Gelas, Passo dei, 9, 10 
Gilbert, Col de Mont, 97 
Giovanni, Col di San, 147 
Girard, Col de, 141 
Glacier Blanc, Col du, 83 



MON 

Glacier, Col du Grand, 166 
Gbindon, Col da, (6,500'), 69 
Goleze, Col de (about 5,600'), 234 
Grancroo, Col de (11,034'), 162 
Granges, Col des, 18 
Grenairon, Col de (about 8,500'), 233 



HABERE, Col d«s Fourches d* (4,685'), 240 
Herbarietan, Col d', 47, 97 B 
Herbetet. Col de 1', 152 
Herens, Col de, 280 
Homme, Col de 1' (7,144' ), 70 



TNFERNET, Col de 1', 66 
^ Izouard, Col d', 40 



JALLORQUES, Col de, 19 
Jambaz, Col de, 240 
Jean de Coux, St., Col de (2,040'), 101 
Jean de Sixt, Col de St., 133 
Joli, Col, 135 
Jou, Col de, 328 
Jouxplane, Col de, (6,684'), 241 
Julien, Col, 35 
Jung Joch pass, 290 



LAC, Col du, 169 
Landar, Col de, 107 
Larossor, Col de, 115 
Lautaret, Col du (6,740'), 63 
Lauzon, Col de (about 9,5000, 152, 160 
Lavazzera, Passo di (5,8630, 152 
Leisse, Col de la, 120 
Leschaux, Col de, 108 
Levornea, Col de (nearly 10,000'), 267 
Loccie, Col delle, 322, 323 
Lombarda, Col del a (~,85e>'), 11 
Lona, Pasde (8.926'), 2*7 
L >nget, Col de, or Col Maurin, 31, 32 
Lore, Pas de (10.049'), 156 
Louze, Col d- la, 136 
Lunga. Colla (8,573'), 11 
Lys Blanche, Col de la, 166 
Lys, Col du, 147 
Lys Joch, or Silber Pass, 311 



MADDALENA, Col della (6,545'), 12 
M .deleine, Col de la (6,637'), 128 
Maigne, Col de la, 279 
Maison Blanche, Col de la (11,212'), 262 
Mait, Col de la, 41 
Malaure, Col de, 35 * 
Manival, Col d , 94 
Marguerite, Col de Ste., 167 
Martin, C -1 de Haut, 85 
Martino, Passo di San, 352 
Maurin, Col de (9,143'), 15 
Maurin, Col, or Col de Longuet, 31, 32 
Men .uve, Col de ' 9,0o9'), 253, 255, 256 
Menoux, Col de, 88 
Merdaret, Col du (6,036'), 71 
Merlet, Col de (7,527'), 72 
Mes >ncles, Col de, 152 
Miage, Col de, 204 
Mi>chabel Joch. 336 
Monie, Col delle, 13, 15 
Mont, Col du, 170 
Moutagnaia, Col de, 267 



MOUNTAIN PASSES. 



361 



HON 

Monthieu, Col de, 229 
Moro, Pass of Monte, 335 
Morta, Col di Frema (8.839'), 8 
Motte, Grand (about 11,500'), 120 
Moud, Col de, 329 
Moude, Col de la, 44 
Muande, Col de la (10,036'), 75 
Mulo, Col del (8,422'), 11, 15 
Muzelle, Col de la (about 8,200'), 74 



NANTES, Col de, 132, 133 ? 
Nivolet, Col de la Croix de (8,6240, 159 
Nouva, Col della, 149 



OLTRO, Col d\ 326 
Orcieres. Col d', 85 
Orine, Col de 1\ 35 
Ornon, Col d' (4,380'), 87 
Ortica, Col dell' (5,928'), 15 
Ortighera, Coll dell', 6 



PACLET, Col du, 127 
Palet, Col du, 117 
Pauvres, Col des, 262 
Peire, Col de St., 19 
Pelouze, Col de, 58 
Perche, Col de la, 47,97 
Perrant, Col, 68 
Piccola, Col di, 140 
Pierres, Col des, or Pas du Frene, 72 
Pinta. Col de, 325 
Piscie, Col delle, 323 
Piz, Col du, 38 

Plain Palais, Col de (3,717',) 107 

Planpinet, Col des Echelles de (5,783'), 43 ' 

Planton, Col de, 18 

Platiere, Col de la, (about 6,800'), 127 

Ponsonniere, Col de la, 42 

Ponds, Col de, 20 

Pontonet, Col de, 157 

Porco, Col del Color del (9,604'), 24 

Porte, Col deile, 9 

Porte, Col de la (4,436'), 103 

.fortette, Col delle, 8 

Portola, Col de, 308, 325 

Pouriac, pass of (8,360'), 12, 18 

Praoarno, Col de, 106 

Prebes, Col de, 85 

Premol, Col de, 98 

Pre Nouveau, Col du (7,717'), 67 

Pres, Col de, 107 



RANZOLA, Col de, 328 
Raus, Col de (6,572'), 6 
Rayes Noires, Col des (about 9,680'), 152 
Reale, Col di. 153 
Remy, St., Col de, 254 
Riedmatten, Col de (9,354'), 280 
Ried Pass, 339, 340 
Rima, Col di, 330 
Rioburent, Col de (8,267'), 13 
Ristolas, Col de, 33 
Rodoret, Col de, 38 
Roi, Col de (8,668'), 16 
Rossa, Col della, 36 
Rosset, Col.de, 159, 172 



VAX 

Roue, Col de la"(8,334' ?), 45 
Rouge, Col du Mont (10,958'), 273, 280 
Ruchere, Col de la (about 4,600'), 102 
Euina, C<>1 della, JO 
Ruine, Col de la, 33 



SABBIONE, Col del (7,704'), 5, 10 
Sabot, Col du, 69 
Sache, Col de la, 118 
S igeroux, Col de, 235 
Sagnette, Passo delle, 28, 29 
Sais, Col de, 83 
Salenton, Col de (8,160'), 232 
Salzia Furke, 312 
Saulce, Col de la, 135 
Saume, Col de la, 43 
Sautron, Col, 13, 15 
Scaletia, pass of (8,619'\ 12 
Schwarz Thor, pass of the, 309 
Sea, C..1 de, 141 
Seigne, Col de la (8,301'), 197 
Selle, Col du. 81, 82 
Serena, C<>1 de la, 255 
Sesanfe, Col de, 236 
Sesia Joch, 314 
Severen, Col de, 258, 280 
Seylieres, Col de (9,247'), 25, 35 
Siboulet, Col de, 15 
Silber Pass or Lys Joch, 311 
Simplon, Pass of the, 341, 344 
Sonad. n, Col de, 263 
Sorebois, Col de, 287 
Souffre, Pas de, 125 



TACQUI, Col de, 166 
Tamie, Col de (4,354'), 131 
Tasch Joch, or Allalein Pass, 337 
Telleccio, Culde (from 9,000' to 10,000'), 150,157, 
158 

Terape, Col de la, 81 
Tenda, Col di (3000'), 5 
Tenneverges, Col de, 233 
*Theodule, Col de St., 305 
Thures, Col de, 41 
Torion, Col de, 331 
Torrent, Col de (9.593'), 286 
Touilles, Col de, 57 
Tourettes, Col des (8,465'), 86 
Tourne, Col du, 118 
Traversette, Col de la (about 10,000'), 25 
Trelajet, Col de, 147 
Tricot, Col de, '-05 
Trilt Jocn, or Col de Zinal, 284 
Tronchet, Col (8,747'), 30 
Turbat, Col de (9,800' ?), 88 
Turlo Pass, 326 



VACORNERE, Col de (10,335'), 268 
Valette, Col de la, 155 
ValhaussiS e, Col de, 127 
Vallante, Col de, 29 
Valletta, Col della. 38 
Valfroide, Col de, 103 
Valgeret, Pas de, 118 
Valloire, Col de (about 8,200'), 71 
Vallonetto, Col del (8,41 2'), 12 
Valmasca, Passo di (9000'), 5 
Valonetto pass, 14 



362 



INDEX TO THE MOUNTAIN PASSES. 



VAX 

Val Pellina, Col de la (11,687'), 266 

Vars, Col de (6,932'), 30 

Vaurze, Col de la, 88 

"Venos, Col de, 74 

Yeraissp, Croix de, 108 

Veran, Col de St., 33 

Vertosan, Col de, 165, 255 

"Very, Col de, 134 

Vessoney, Col de, 267 

Voza, Col de (5,938'), 195 



WEISS Thor, 318 
New, 319 



ZARZED AN, Col de, 278 
Zinal. Col de, or Trift Joch, 284 
Z'meiden Pass, 289 
Zora, Col de, 237 
Zwillinge Joch, 313 
Zwischbergen Pass (10,742'), 350, 351 



GENERAL INDEX. 



ABO 

ABONDANCE, Notre Dame d>, 242 
Abri£s, village of, 26 
Abries, Perouse to, by the Val Germanasca (§ 

5, Kre. D), 37 
Abries to Cesanne (§ 6, Rte. C), 41 
Acceg'io, village of, 13, 15 
Ael. Pom d\ 152 
Agn 1 torrent, 33 
Agnelin. Combe d', 67 
Aiguebelle, 47 
Aiguebelle, Allevard to, 97 
Aiguebellette, L«ke of, 104 
Aigueblanche. Ill 
Aiguille, the name, 176 
Ailefroide, village of, 77 
Aillon, Chartreuse d\ 107 
Aillon, Vallee d\ 107 
Aillon le Jeune, 107 
Aillon le Vieux, 107 
Aimaville, lr>2 
Aime, town of, 112 
Aix les Bains, 92 

Aix le Bains t<> Chatelard (§ 10, Rte. H), 105 
by Cusy, 105 

by the C<>1 de Brabarno and St. Offenge, 106 

Ala, valley of, 1*9 

Ala, commune of, 144 

Ala, pass from, to Viu or Lemie, 147 

Alagna, 3i6. 323 

Alban des Villards, St., village of, 69 

Albart-tto, glen of, 14 

Albertviile district (§ 12), 129 

Albertviile, towns of, 111 

Albertviile, Chatelard to (§ 10, Rte. K), 108 

Albertviile, La Ch mbre to, by the Col de la 
Madeleine (§11, Rte. I), 128 

Albertviile to Sallanches (§ 12, Rte. A), 129 

Albertviile to Annecy (§ 12, Rte. B), 130 

Albertviile to St. Gervais, by the Valley of Beau- 
fort (§ 12, Rte. E), 134 

Albertviile to Bourg St. Maurice, by Beaufort 
(§ 12, Rte. F), 135 

by the Col de la Saulce, 135 

by the Col de l'Allee, 135 

Alby, 105 

Aleve, 263 

Algaby, 346 

Allalein Gletscher, 335, 337 
Allamans. 234 

Allee Blanche. Glacier de 1', 198 
Allemont, village of, 68 
Allevard, village of, 72, 96 
— excursions from, 97 

Allevard, Bourg d'Oisans to, (§ 8, Rte. E), 70 
Allevard to La Chamhre (§ 8, Rte. F), 72 
Allevard, Baths of, Chambery to the (§ 10. Rte. 

D), 96 
AUeves, village of, 105 
Allinges, castle of, 240 
Alios, towu of, 19 



AOS 

Alios, Lac d', 19 

Allues, Combe des, 120, 121 

Alma, 14 

Almagell, village of, 335, 351 
Almese, hamlet of, 143 
Alpes, the Hautes, 85 
Alpignano, 52 

Alpine, mountains which may be so called in 

common parlance, 2 
Alps, tunnel through the, 45 
Alps, Cottian. 21 
Alps, Dauphine, 59 
Alps, South Savoy, 89 
Alps, Pennine, 73 

Alps, routes for approaching the, xxii 
— — mode of travelling in the, xxviii 

general advice to travellers in the, xxxix 

climate and vegetation of the, lvi 

• zoology of the, Ixi 

meteorology and hypsometry of the, lxiv 

snow region of the, lxvi 

geology of the, lxxxiv 

Amberieux, 91 

Ambin, Comoe d\ 66 

Amphion, 238 

Andorno, 331 

Andorno, Val, 331 

Andre, St., 17 

Angrogna, Val, 37 

Anna, Val di Santa, 11 

Annecy, town of, 132 

Annecy le Vieux, 132 

Annecy, Chatelard to (§ 10, Rte. L), 108 

by the Col de Leschaux, 108 

by the Col d'Entrevernes, 108 

by the Col de Cherel, 1C9 

Annecy, Albertviile to (§ 12, Rte. B), 130 
Annecy to Bonneville (§ 12, Rte. C), 132 
Annecy to Sallanches or Cluses (§ 12, Rte. D), 
133 

Annemasse, 181 
Anniviers, Val d', 282 
Annot, 18 
Annuit, 134 
An tern e, Lac d\ 230 
Antey, village of, 307 
Anfrona Piano, villaee of, 352 
Antrona, the Val, 352 
Anza, torrent of the, 320 
Anzasca, Val, 318 
Aosta, citv of, 166 

Aosta, Turin to, by the Val Soana and Val de 

Cosine (§ 14, Rte. A), 148 
Aosta to Cogne, bv the Becca di Nona and Col 

d'Arbole (§14, Rte. B). 153 
Aosta to Cogne, by the Mont Emilius and the 

Val de Gnuson (§ M, Rte. C), 155 
Aos-ta, Bourg St. Maurice to (§ 15, Rte. A), 163 
Aosta, Tignes to, bv the Col de Gailletta and the 

Val de Rhemes (§ 15, Rte. D), 171 



364 



GENERAL INDEX. 



AOS 

Aosta, Geneva to, by Martigny and the Great 

St. Bernard (§ 18, Rte. A), 244 
Aosta, St. Pierre to, by the Col de Menouve (§ 18, 

Rte. C), 255 

Aosta, Martigny to, by the Val dp Bagnes and 

the Col de Fenetre (§ 18, Rre. D), 257 
Aosta to Zermatt, by the Val Pellina and the 

Col de la Val Pellina (§ I*. Rte. G), 264 
Aosta, Siou to, by the Val d'Herens and Col de 

Colloii (§ 19, Rte. A). 275 
Aosta to Ponte Grande, by the lower passes, 

(§ 20, Rte. I), 327 
Apennine, mountains which maybe so called, in 

contradistinction to alpine mountains, 2 
Apennines, Ligmian, limit between them and 

the Maritime Alps, 2 
Arbe Glacier, 286 
Ardon, 342 

Areche, hamlet of, 136 
Arene, Villard d\ hamlet of, 63 
Argenta, village of, 12 
Argentiere, '217 
Argentiere district (§ 2), 10 
Argentiere, Glacier d', 222 
Arly, valley of the, 129 
Arly river, 130 
Armencettes. Glacier d', 195 
Armoy 240, 241 

Arnaz, Val d', pass from La Balme to the head 

of the, 147 
Arolla, the name, 277 
Arolla, Combe d', -j7'6, 277 
Arolla, Reuse (or glacier) de 1', 272, 273, 277 
Arona, town of, 348 
Arona, Marti-ny to {§21, Rte. A), 341 
Arona, Domo d'Ossola to, by Orta (§21, Rte, 

B), 349 
Arpenaz, Nant d', 228 
Arsine, Glacier d', 84 
Articol,99 
Arvan, the, 68 

Arveiron river, source of the, 187 

Arvier, 165 

Arvieux, 40 

Arvieux, valley of, 26 

Arvillard. 97 

Arzinol, Caverne d\ 279 

Aubonne, town of, 245 

Augusta Praetoria, 166 

Aussois, village of, 49, 125 

Autaret, Lac de l\ 146 

Avalanches, lxxxiii 

Avanchers, Combe des, 129 

Aventina Glacier, 310, 325 

Aventina, chalets of, 324 

Averole, 146 

Averole, hamlet of, 144 

Avrieux, village of, 125 

Ayas village ot, 310, 325 

Ayas Glacier, 310 

Ayas, Val d\ 310 

Ayer, 283, 290 



B AGNES, Val de, 257 
Bagnes, Valde, Sion to, by the Vald'He- 
remenc- (§ 19. Rte. C), 279 
Bagnola. Val, 317 
Bains, La Motte les, 87 
Balen, village of, 334 
Balme, 164 

Balme, La, village of, 104, 144 



BEL 

Balme, La, pass from, to the head of the Val 

d'Arnaz, 147 
Balme, Glacier de la, 270 
Balmuccia, 317 
Balsille, 38 

Baltsc heider Thai, 344 
Range, Grotte de. 105 
Bange, Pont de, 105 
Banio, village of. 322, 329 
Bar, Pre du, chalets of, 221 
Barberine, Cascade de la, 218 
Barberine torrent, 233 
Barcelonette, town of, 13, 18, 19 
Barcelonette, Cuneo to, (§ 2, Rte. A\ 11 
Barcelonette, Cuneo to, by Val Maira (§ 2, Rte. 
B), 13 

Barcelonette, Saluzzo to, (§ 2, Rte. D), 15 
Barcelonette, Ni- e to (§3, Rte. A), 17 
Barcelonette, Colmar to (§ 3. Rte. C), 19 
Barcelonette to Rn.brun (§3. Rte. D), 19 
Barcelonette to Guilestre (§4, Rte, C). 30 
Barcelonette to Queyras, by St. Veran (§4, Rte. 

D), 30 
Ba d, 157 

Bard, village of, 308 

Bard, Cogne to, by the Fenetre de Cogne (§ 14, 

Rte. D), 156 
Bardonneche, village of, 45 
Bardonneche, Bramans to, by Rochemolle (§7, 

Rte. E.). 58 
Bardonney, Glacier de, 148 
B rge, 23 

Bar:na. chalets of, 279 

Barmaz, La, hamlet of, 196 

Barme. Chalets de, 236 

Barraux, Fort of, 94 

Barricades, defile of the, 12 

Bane emi, St., village of, 20 

Bartelemi, St., torrent of, 20 

Barthelemi, St., vi lage of, 267 

Barrhelemi, St., to the Val Pellina (§ 18, Rte. 

H), 267 
B -rthelemi, St., Val de, 267 
Basses Alps (§3), 17 
Bathie, La, castle of, 111 
Baths of Allevard. 96 

of Lavev, 249 

of Morg'in, 242 

of St. Gervais, 202 

ot St. Vincent, 328 

of Valdieri, 6 

of Vinanio, 11 

— - of Uriage, 98 
B auges, hamlet of, 58 
Baune, village of, 126 
Baveno, 347 

B yard, C> ateau de, ruins of, 95 
Beaufort, district of, 134 
Beaufort, Doron de, 134 
Beaufort, M «xime de, village of, 134 
Beaufort, valley of, 134 

Beaufort, St. Maxima de, to Moutiers Tarentaise 

(§ 12, Rte. G), 136 
Beauvoisin. Pout de, Chambery to, by Aigue- 

belle te (§10, Rte. G), 103 
Beauvoisin, Pont de, village of, 104 
Belgirate, vi lage of, 348 
Bella, Isola 347 
Bellaval, Val de, 135 
Bellavaux, 240 

Bellavaux, Benedictine priory of, 108 
Bellavaux, Combe de, 108 
Bellavaux, Val de, 240 



GENERAL 

BEL 

Bellecombe, village of, 128 
Bellecombe, Notre Dame de, 134 
Bellentre, village of, 112 
Belleville, Valleede, 126 
Bel lino, Val di, 16 
Bellons, hamlet of, 18 
Bens torrent, 97 
Berard, Val de, 218 
Berard, Pierre a, 231 
Berarde, La, 75 

Berarde, La, Boure: d'Oisans to (§ 9, Rte. A), 73 
Berarde. La. to Vallouise by Col des Ecrins 

(§9, Rte. C), 79 
Berarde, La, to Vallouise, by the Col de la 

Tempe (§9, Rte. D), 8i 
Berarde. Li. to Vallouise, by the Col du Selle 

(§ 9, Rte. E), 81 
Berarde, La, to Vallouise, by the Val Godemar 

(§9, Rte. F), 82 
Berevio, 12 
Berisal, 345 

Bernard, St., district (§ 18), 242 
Bernard, Great St., Hospice of the, 251 
Bernard. Great St. Hospice of the, to Cour- 

maveur (§ 18, Rte. B), 254 
Bernin, 94 

Bessans, village of, 53, 117 

Bessa'is, Susa ro (§ 7, Rte. B), 52 

Bessee. La, village of, 77 

Betta Furke, 324 

Bianca, Sea, 34 

Biaysse torrent, 86 

Bider glacier, 340 

Biella. town of, 331 

Bies glacier, 293, 302 

Bietschthal, 343 

Biona, 265 

Bionnassay, 195 

Bionnassav, Glacier of, 195 

Bionnay. 195 

Biot, village of, 241 

Blanc, Lac (§ 8, Rte. A), 65 

Blanc, Lie (§ 8, Hte. E), 71 

Blanc, Monr, ascent of, 209 

the Chamouni route, 212 

the St. Gervais route, 214 

Blanc glacier, 80 
Bobbio, 34 

Bocaresse, Glacier de, 259 

Boe^e, town of, 240 

Bois, Glacier de, 184, 187 

Bonnant river, 1X3, 196, 202 

Bonnavaux, hamlet of, 236 

Bonne, village of, 239 

Bonne river, 88 

Bonnet, chalets of, 170 

Bonneval, village of, 116, 129. 135, 141, 142 

Bonneval to Ceresole (§ 13, Rte. B), 141 

Bonneville, city of, 181, 227 

Bonneville, Annecy to (§ 12, Rte. C), 132 

Bonneville to Thnnon (§ 17, Rte. K), 239 

bv Bonne and Machiily, 239 

by B ege, 240 

by St. Jeoire and Megevette, 240 

Bons, village of, 240 

Bonzo, 140 

Books and maps, xli 

Borca, 321, 327 

Bordeau, vill «ge of, 92 

Borgeat, Glacier de, 184 

Borgne river, 275 

Borgomanero, 331, 332 

Bornand, Grand, commune of, 133 



INDEX. 365 

CAS 

Borne river, 133 

Borromean Islands, 347 

Borterthal, 288 

Bosses, village of, 254 

Bosses, Val de, 254 

Bo-sons, Glacier des, 184, 192, 210 

Boulinetta, valley of, 18 

Bourg, town of, 91 

Bourget, Lake of, 91 

Bouveret, 239 

Boveire, Glacier de, 2fi3 

Bovernier, village of, 250 

Bozel, village of, lis, 121 

Bramand, Combe de, 69 

Bra-nans to Susa, by the Col du Clapier (§ 7, 

Rte. C), 53 
Bramans to Exilles (§ 7, Rte. D), 58 
Bramans to Bardonneche, by Rochemolle (§ 7, 

Rte. E), 58 
Bramois, 275 
Branche, 221 

Branchier, St., village of, 250 
Brandes, plateau of, 64 
Breda tiver, 96 
Bren. 247 

Brenev, Glacier de, 259, 273 
Brenthomme, village of, 240 
Brenva. Glacier de la, 199 
Breole, La, 20 
Bret, hamlet of, 238 
Breuil, 269, 306 

Breuil, Prarayen to, by the Col de la Vacor- 

nere (§ 18, Rte. I), 268 
Brevidres, village of, 114 
Brevon river, 240 
Briancon, town and fortress of, 40 
Brianr;on, Susa to, by the Mont Genevre (§ 6, 

Rte. A), 39 
Bri neon. Quevras t^ (§ 6, Rte. B), 40 
Briancon to - 1." Michel (§ 6, Rte. D, 41 
Brianco to Modane (§ 6, Rte. E ), 42 
Briancon to Grenoble (§ 8, Rte. A), 62 
Briancon, Chateau de, 1 11 
Bricolla, chalets of, 281 
Brides les Bains, 120, 127 
Bridoire torrent, 43 
Bridoire, village of, J04 
Brieg, town of, 344 
Briga. village of, 5 
Bris>ogne, 156 

Brou, church of, at Bourg, 91 
Brussone. village of, 310, 328 . 
Buccioletto, village of, 329 
Bugion river, 128 
Bugnanco, Val, 351 
Buissidre, La, 94 
BussiRnv, 245 
By, Chaiets de, 264 



CAILLE, La. bridge of, 132 
Calasca, 322, 333 
Camasco, 333 
Campea, Val, 149 
Campello, village of, 333 
Campiglia. hamlet of, 149 
( araglio, 15 
Carcotoro. 329 
Caros, Val de, 6 
Castelmajrno, village of, 15 
Castel Delrino to Guilestre, by Col de Longet 

and Colde Cristillan (§ 4, Rte. E), 31 
Castel Delnno to Queyras (§ 4, Rte. F), 32 



306 



GENERAL TNDEX. 



CAS 

Castello, Ponte, hamlet of, 27 

Castiglione, 322, 333 

Cavallo, Pie de, village of, 331 

Celliers, Vallon des. 128 

Celliers, village of, 129 

Cenis district (§ 7), 46 

Cenise torrent, 51 

Ceppo Morelli, hamlet of, 321 

Ceresole, Scaiare de, 157 

Ceresole. village of, 142, 157 

to Lanzo and Turin, by the Col della Cro- 

cetta (§ 13, Rte. C), 143 
Ceresole to Villeneuve, in Val d'Aosta (§14, 

Rte. F), 159 
Ceresole, Cogne to (§ 14, Rte. G), 162 
Cergues, St., 180 
Cerveyrette torrent, 39, 41 
Cervieres, village of, 41 
Cervo river, 331 
Cesanne, village of, 39 
Cesanne, Pignerol to (§5, Rte. B), 35 
Cesanne, Perouse to, bv Rodoret, (§5, Rte. F), 38 
Cesanne, Abries to (§6, Rte. C), 41 
Cesanne, Modane to (§ 6, Rte. F), 45 
Ceutron, village of, 112 
Cevins, La Roche, 111 
Chables, village of, 257 

Chables to St. Pierre, by the Col de la Maison 

Blanche (§ [«, Rte. E), 260 
Chagne torrent, 30 
Chaille, La, defile of, 101 
Chaise-a- porteur, xxxii 
Chaise, valley of the, 131 
Chalet life in the Alps lvi 
Challant, Val, 308, 310 
Chambave, village of, 327 
Chambery district (§10), 90 
Chambery, city of, 93 
Chambery to Turin (§ 7, Rte. A), 46 
Chambery, Pans to, (§ 10, Rte. A), 91 
Chambery, Grenoble to, by the right bank of the 

Isere (§ 10, Rte. B), 93 
Chamuerr, Grenoble to, bv MontmeMian and the 

left bank of the Isere (§ lo, Rte. C). 95 
Chambery to the baths of AllevarU (§ 10, Rte. 

D), 96 

Chambery to Uriage (§ 10, Rte. E), 98 
Chambery to Grenoble, by the Grand Chartreuse 

(§ 10, Rte. F),100 
Chambery to Pont de Beauvoisin, by Aiguebel- 

lette (§ 10, Rte. G). 103 
Chambery to the Grande Chartreuse, by St. 

Laurent du Pont, 100 
Chambery to the Grande Chartreuse, by the 

Col de la Ruchere, 102 
Chambery to the Grande Chartreuse, by St. 

Pierre d'Entremont, 102 
Chambery, Chatelard to (§ 10, Rte. I), 106 

by the Col de Plain Palais. 106 

by the Valley of Aillon and Thoiry, 107 

by the Chartreuse d'Aillon and the Col de 

Landar, 107 

by St. Pierre d'Abignv, 107 

Chambery to Bourg St. Maurice (§ 11, Rte. A), 

110 

Chambre, La, village of, 47 
Chambre, La, Bourg dOisans to (§ 8, Rte. D),68 
Chambre, La, Allevaid to (§ 8, Rte. F), 72 
Chambre, La, to Moutiers Tarentaise or Albert- 
vide, by the Col de la Madeleine (§ 11, Rte. I), 
128 

Chamois, village of, 325 
Chamouni, village of, 184 



CHA 

Chamouni, valley of, 184 

Chamouni, Paris to, by Geneva (§ 16, Rte. A), 
171 

Chamouni to Courmaveur, by the Col du Bon- 

homme (§ 16, Rte. B), 194 
Chamouni to Conrmayeur, by the Col de Miage 

(§ 16, Hte. E), 204 
Chamouni to Courmnyeur, by the Col du Geant 

(§ 16, Rte- F), 206 
Chamouni route to Mont Blanc, 212 
Chamouni to Martismy (§ 1(5, Rte. H), 216 

by the Col de Balme, 216 

by the Tete Noire and Trient, 2' 8 

by the Tete Noire and Salvent, 219 

Chamouni to Orsieres, by the Col de Champey 

(§ 16, Rte. I), 219 
Chamouni to Orsieres, by the Col d'Argentiere 

(§ 16, Rte. L), 221 
Chamouni to Orsieres, by the Glacier du Tour 

(§ 1 6, Rte. M ), 223 
Chamouni, Sixt to. by Servoz C§ 17, Rte. C), 229 

bv the Col d'Anterne, 230 

by the Col du Derochoir, 230 

Chamounr, Sixt to ^§ 17, Rte. D), 230 
Chamousset, -47 
Chamousset, Allevard to, 97 
Champagnv, village of, 118 
Champel, 1*95 
Champerv, 234 

Champerv, Samoens to (§ 17, Rte. F), 234 
Champerv to Martignv (§ 17, Rte. H), 236 
Champerv, Sixt to (§ 17, Rte. G), 235 

by the Col de Saseroux, 235 

bv the Colette d'Oulaz, 236 

Champe.y, Tnor.on to (§ 17, Rte. M), 241 

Champev, Lac de, 220 

Champoleon, Val, 85 

Champolien, 325 

Champorcher, Val, 156 

Chatnpsec, 258 

Chap ireillan, village of, 94 

Chapel I e, La, viliase of, 83, 88 

Chapelle en Val Godemar, La, 88 

Chapelle en Val Godemar, La, La Mure to (§ 9, 

Rte. M), 88 
Chapis, hamlet of, 158 
Chapiu, 196 

Charbonniers, La Combe des, 34 
Chardon, Glacier de, 81, 83, 88 
Charmet, Notre Dame de, chapel of, 43 

Chars, xxx 

Chartreuse, Grange, monastery of, 90, 100 

, principal ways for reaching the Char- 
treuse from Ciiamberv, ICO —102 

Chaitreuse, Grande, to Grenoble, by Voiron or 
Vor^ppe, 103 

Chartreuse, Grande, to Grenoble, by the Col de 
la G>chette, 103 

Chartreuse. Grande, to Grenoble, by Sappey, 103 

Charvensod, village of, 154 

Chateauroux, village of, 86 

Chatelard, village of, 105 

Chatelard, Aix le Bains to (§ 10, Rte. H), 105 ' 

Aix to, by Cusy, 105 

Aix to, by the Col de Prabarno and St. 

OfTenge, 106 
Chatelard to Chamberv (§ 10, Rte. I), 106 

by the Col de Plain Palais. 106 

by the Valley of Aillon and Thoiry, 107 

bv the Chartreuse d'Aillon and the Col de 

Landar, 107 

by St. Pierre d'Albignv. 107 

Chatelard to Albertville (§"l0, Rte. K) 108 



GENERAL 

CHA 

Chatelard to Annecy (§10, Rte. L), 108 

by the Col rie Les'chaux, 108 

by the Col d'Entrevernes, 108 

. bv the Col de Cherel, 109 

Chatillon, village of. 227, 228 

Chaiillon, village of, 308 

Chaviere, village of, 124 

Chazelets, village of, 66 

Chede, village of, 183 

Cheggio, 351, 352 

Cheillon, Glacier de, 274, 280 

Cheraines, Lps, village of, 105 

Cherasca torrent, 346 

Chermontane, Chalets de, 260 

ChermontMne, St. Pierre to, by the Col de So- 
nadon (§ 18, Rte. K), 263 

Chermontane to Prarayen, by the Glacier 
d'Otemma (§ IK, Rte. K). 269 

. by the Col de Ciete Seche, 270 

by the Mont Gele, 270 

by the Col de la Reuse de l'Arolla, 271 

Chermontane to Evolena, by the Col de Cher- 
montane (§ 18, Rte. L), 272 

Chermontane to Evolena. or Heremence, by the 
Col du Mont Rouge (§ 18, Rte. M), 273 

Chiaffredo, San, church of, 23 

Chialambertetto, hamlet of, 144 

Chialamberto, 140 

Chianale, village of, 32 

Chianale, Ponte, village of, 16 

Chianale, Val di, 16 

Chilton, castle of, 247 

Chinaillon, hamlet of, 134 

Chisone, or Clusone, valley of, 35 

Chiusa, La, 4 

Chouex, 235 

Christophe, St., village of, 74 

Christophe, St., La Grave en Oisans to (§ 9, 

Rte. I), 85 
Cijorenove, Glacier de, 273 
Circular Notes, xxi 
Claire, St., bridge of, 132 
Clairee torrent, 39 
Clairee river, 43 
Claix, 66 

Clanzo, village of, 18 

Clappey, the debris so called, 150 

Clarens, 247 

Clarets, Les, 88 

Claux, village of, 77 

Clavans, hamlet of, 67 

Clefs, Les, 133 

Climate of the Alps, lvi 

Clochatel, vallev of, 81 

Clochatel. Vallon de, 83 

Clot, hamlet of, 83 

Cluses, 228 

Cluses, town of, 181 

Cluses, Annecy to (§ 12, Rte. D), 133 

Clusone, or Chisone, valley of, 35 

Coazzolo, 139 

Cochette, glaciers of, 70 

Coeur, Grand, hamlet of, 111 

Cceur, Petit, hamlet of, 111 

Cogne, Val de, 148 

Cogne, Aosta to, by the Becca di Nona and Col 

d'Arbole (§ 14, Rt. B), 153 
Cogne, Aosta to, bv the Mont Emilius and the 

A'al de Grausson"(§ 14, Rte. C), 155 
Cogne to Bard, by the Fenetre de Cogne (§ 14, 

Rte. D), 156 
Cogne to Ceresole (§ 14, Rte. G), 162 
Coise, village of, 47 



INDEX. 367 
DAU 

Col, Lac du, 70 
Colmar, 19 

Colmar, Nice to (§ 3, Rte. B), 18 
Colmar to Barcelonette (§ 3, Rte. C), 19 
Cologny, 237 

Colomban des Villards, St., village of, 69 
Colonaz, village of, 228 
Comba, Bella, 145 
Combal, Lac de, 198 
Combe, Haute, abbey of, 93 
Combloux. 130 

Comboe. pastures and chalets of, 154 
Condamine, glacier of, 82 
Condove, 52 
Confians, town of, 111 
Contamines, 181, i95 

Contamines, Sallanches to, by St. Gervais (§ 16, 
Rte. C), 201 

Contamines, Courmayeur to, by the Col de 

Trelatete (§ 16, Rte. D), 203 
Coppet, 245 

Corbassiere, Chalets de, 261 

Corbassiere, Glacier de, 261 

Coruonera, hamlet of, 149, 152 

Corridor, the, of Mont Blanc, 214 

Corve, Glacier de Mont, 161 

Cossato, 331 

Cottaves, hamlet of, 103 

Cottian Alps, 21 

Courmayeur, village of, 198 

Courmayeur, Chamouni to, by the Col du Bon- 

homme (§ 16, Rte. B), 194 
Courmaveur, Sallancnes to, by St. Gervais (§ 16, 

Rte. C), 201 

Courmaveur to Contamines, by the Col de Tre- 
latete'^ 16, Rte. D), 203 

Courmaveur, Chamouni to, by the Col deMiage 
(§16, Rte. E), 204 

Courmaveur, Chamouni to, bvthe Col de Geant 
(§16, Rte. F), 206 

Courmaveur, Hospice of the Great St. Bernard 
to (§ 18, Rte. B), 254 

Cracalery, Lac de, 117 

Cremenz, village of, 287 

Crete Seche, Glacier de, 271 

Crevacuore, 331 

Crissolo, hamlet of, 23 

Croix, La Grande, 51 

Crozet. Lac du, 99 

Culoz, 91 

Cuneo, town of, A 

Cuneo to the Baths of Valdieri (Rte. B), 6 
Cuneo to Nice, by Entracque and Col delle 

Finistre (§ 1, Rte. D), 10 
Cuneo to Barcelonette (Sect. 2, Rte. A), 11 
Cuneo to Barcelonette, by Val Maira (§ 2, Rte. 

B), 13 

Cuneo to Prazzo, by Val Grana (§ 2, Rte. C), 15 
Cuorgne, town of, 148 
Custom-house regulations, xxi 
Cusy, village of, 105 



DALMAZZO, Borgo S-, village of, 4 
Dalmazzo, S., Abbey of, 5 
Dalmazzo il Selvatico, San, hamlet of, 18 
Dames, Plan des, 196 
Damiano, San 14 
Dard, Cascade du,192 
Dauphin, Chateau, or Castel Dolfino, 16 
Dauphin, Mont, town of, 26 
Dauphin, Mont, Saluzzo to (§ 4, Rte. A), 23 
Dauphin, Mont, Pignerol to (§ 5, Rte. A), 34 



368 



GENERAL INDEX. 



DAU 

Dauphin, Le, hamlet of, 64 

Dauphine Alps, 59 

Demonte, 11 

Desert, village of, 107 

Didier, St., village of, 165 

Diligences, xxxi 

Dingy, 132 

D oza river, 184 

Dioza. torrent of the, 232 

Dirt bands of the Arolla Glacier, 273 

Dixence river, 279 

Dolfino, Cartel, or Chateau Dauphin, 16 
Domeocy, 202 
Domene, 95 
Domenon, Lac de, 99 
i)omo d'Ossola, town of, 347 
Dnmo d'Ossola to Arona, by Orta(§21, Rte.B), 
349 

Domo d'Ossola, Saas to, by the Val Bugnanco 

(§21, Rte. E), 351 
Domo d'Ossola, Saas to, by the Val Antrona 

(§ 21, Rte. F), 352 
Donnaz, 308 
Dora Riparia, river, 38 
Dorinet torrent, 134 
Dormillouse, hamlet of, 86 
Doron river, 121 
Doussard, 131 
Douvaine, 237 

Doveria, or Krumbach, river, 346 
Dromadaire, Bosse du, 210 
Dronero, town of, 13 
Duingt, castle and village of, 131 
Durance river, 38 
Durand, Glacier du Mont, 260 
Durand, Glacier de, 264, 283 ; or Glacier de 
Zinal, 285 



EAU NOIRE, the, 218 
Echauda, 84 

Echelle, Pierre del', 212 
Echelles. Les, village of, 101 
Ecole, village of, 107 

Ecot, hamlet of, 142 
Einfisch Thai, 282 
fiison, 287 

E'ivettes, glacier of, 141 
Electric Telegraph, xxii 
Elva, village of, 14 
Embours Glacier 316 
Embowrs Thai, 316 

Embrun, Val'ooise to, by the Valleys of the 

Hautes Alpes (§ 9, Rte. K), 85 
Embrun, Barceh.nette to (§ 3, Rte. D), 19 
Enchatra, Vallon de 1'. 74 
Encombres. Val des, 126 
Entracque, Gesso d\ 10 
Entrai que, village of, 10 
Entraigues, village of, 83, 87 
Entraigues, Val d', 77 
Entiannes. village of, 19 
Entre-deux-Eaux, chalets of, 123 
Entremont, i 33 
Entremont, Val d , 250 
Entrevaux, vilh.ge of, 18 
Entrevernes, village of, 108 
En reves, Val d', 199 
E nierre, 47 

Epierre. Allevard to, 97 
Epinol, hamlet of, 152 
Eringerthal, 275 



FOR 

Escofier, Pont, 74 
Esseillon, L'. fortress of, 49 
Estelette, Glacier de 1', 198 
Etancons, Vallon des, 76 
Etroubl<-s, 254 
Evanson river, 310 
Evian, town of, 238 
Evionnaz, village of, 249 
Evolena, village of. 276 

Evolena. Chennontane to, by the Col de Cher- 
montane (§ 18, Rte. L), 272 

Evolena. Chermontane to, by the Col du Mont 
Rouge (§ 18, Rte. M) 273 

Evolena district (§ 19>, 274 

Evolena to Praray^n, by the Col des Bouquetins 
(§ 19, Rte. B), 278 

Evolena to Zermatt, by the Col d'Herens (§ 19, 
Rte. D), 280 

Evolena to Vissoie, by the Val de Torrent (§ 19, 
Hte. G), 286 

Evolena to Zinal, by the Col de Sorebois (§ 19, 
Rte. H), 287 

Exiles, fort of, 39 

Exilles, Bramans to (§ 7, Rte. D), 58 
Expenses of travelling, xlii 



FARIOLO, 347 
Faucigny, castle of, 181 
Faverges, town of, 131 
Fee, va ley of, 334 
Fenestrelle, village of, 36 

fort of, 36 

Fenestrelle, Val de, 33 

Fenestrelle, or Perouse, Val de, 36 

Fenis, Val de, '57 

Fenis, castle of, 327 

Fer-a-Cheval, 227 

Fernex, Cnateau de, 180 

Ferpecle, Glacier de, 280 

Feriand torrent, 67 

Ferrera, 333 

Ferrex, Val, 220 

Ferrex, Chalets de, 221 

Ferriere, La, village of, 71 

Fier, valley of the, 132 

Filar Glacier, 320 

Filliere, river, 132 

Findelen Glacier, 296 

Findelen, hamlet of, 300 

Fmest e, Val delle, 10 

Finest re, La Madonna delle, sanctuary, 10 

Finhaut, village of, 219 

Fiorenza, Piano Hi, 24 

Elaine. Lac de. 228 

Flegere, the, 192 

Fletschhorn Glacier, 350 

Flon torrent, 104 

Flons torrenv, 130 

Flumet. town of, 130 

Foax, La. vllage of, 19 

Fobello. 333 

Foi, Sainte. 113 

Foi, La Thuile de Sainte, 113 

Foi, Sainte, La Thuile to (§ 15, Rte. B), 166 

Foi. Sainte, Ivrogne to, by the Val Grisanche 

(§ 15, Hte. C), 169 
Foiiaz, La, 221 
Fonris Vallee des. 231 
Font Convene, village of, 68 
Fontainenmire, vil.age of, 313, 331 
Fontan, village of, 6 
Forcellina, Val, 27 



GENERAL INDEX. 



369 



FOR 

Fornet, 170 

Forno, village of, 140 

Foron, valley of the, 241 

Forzo, Val di, 149 

Fournel torrent, 85 

Freaux, Les, lead mines of, 64 

Freddo, Vallon di Rio, 8, 11 

Freissinieres, village of, 86 

Freissinieres, Val, 86 

Freney, 64 

Fressinone torrent, 346 
Frcngillarde, 33 
Fulaz river, 240 
Furgge Glacier, 301, 352 
Furgge Thai, 335, 352 



GABY, village of, 313 
Gampel, 343 
Garasa Glacier, 344 
Gamsen, 344 

Gamsen Thai, or Nanzer Thai, 344 

Ganther torrent, 345 

Garbach torrent, 305 

Garstelet Glacier, 312 

Gattinara, 331 

Gavet, Combe de, 65 

Gavet, hamlet of, 65 

Geant, Glacier du, 187, 207 

Gelon, valley of the, 97 

Geneva, city of, 178 

Geneva, Lake of, 244 

Geneva to Sixt, by Tanninges (§ 17, Rte. A), 
225 

by St. Jeoire, 225 

by Bonneville and Chatillon, 227 

Geneva to Sixt, by Chases or St. Martin (§ 17, 

Rte. B). 228 

bv Cluses, 228 

by St. Martin, 229 

by Passy and La Portette, 229 

Geneva to St. Maurice, by Thouon (§ 17, Rte. I), 

237 

Geneva to Aosta, by Martigny and the Great St. 

Bernard (§ 18, Rte. A), 244 
Gendvre district (§ 6), 38 
Genevre, Bourg Mont, village of, 40 
Genix d'Aoste, St., 104 
Geology of the Alps, lxxxiv 
George, St., de Rhemes, village of, 172 
Germain, St., 164 
Germanasca, Val, 37 
Germano, S., village of, 36 
Gervais, St., 201, 202 
baths of, 202 

Gervais, St., Albertville to, by the valley of 

Beaufort (§ 12, Rte. E), 134 
Gervais, St., route to Mont Blanc, 214 
Gesso river, 3 

Getroz, Glacier de, 258, 273. 
Gets, Les, village of, 241 
Giacomo d'Ayas, San, hamlet of, 310 
Giaveno, 36 

Gieres, village of, 95, 98 
Giffre torrent, 226 
Gignod, 254 

Gingolph, St., village of, 238 

Gioux, or Valsavaranche, village of, 160 

Giovanni, San, village of, 34 

Giovanni, Isola di S., 317 

Girandola, 6 

Girba, Vallone di, 16 

B 



GUI 

Gironde torrent, 76i 
Girottaz, Lac de la, 135 
Gitta, Vallee de la, 134, 135 
Glaise, waterfall of the, 111 
Olaciers, lxvi 
Glapigny, village of, 108 
Glidre torrent, 121, 122 
Glys, 344 

Goille a Vassu, 256 
Goitreux, Villard, village of, 121 
Goleze, Chalets de, 234 
Goncelin, village of, 95 
Gondo, village of, 346 
Gondo, Gorge of, 346 
Gordalasca torrent, 9 
Corner Glacier, 296, 301 
Gornerhorn Gletscher, 299 
Gozzano, 331 
Graben Glacier, 303 
Grachen, village, 293 
Graglia, sanctuary of, 331 
Graian Alps, 137 
Grana, Val, 15 

Granges Neuves, chalets of, 258, 261 
Grausson, Val de, 155 
Grave en Oisans, La, 63 

Grave en Oisans, La, to St, Jean de Maurienne 

(§ 8, Rte. B), 66 
Grave en Oisans, La, Vallouise to (§ 9, Rte. G) 

83 

Grave en Oisans, La, to St. Christophe (§ 9, 

Rte. I), 85 
Gravellona, 347 
Grenoble, city of, 66 
Grenoble, Briancon to (§ 8, Rte. A), 62 
Grenoble, Bourg d' Oisans to, by La Mure (§ 9, 

Rte. L), 86 

Grenoble to Chambery, by the right bank of the 

Isere (§ 10, Rte. B), 93 
Grenoble to Chambery, by Montmelian and the 

left bank of the lsere (§ 10, Rte. C), 95 
Grenoble, Allevard to, 97 

Grenoble, Chambery to, by the Grand Char- 
treuse (§ 10, Rte. F), 100 

Grenoble, Grande Chartreuse to, by the Col de 
la Cochette, 103 

Grenoble, Grande Chartreuse to, by Sappey, 
103 

Grenoble, Grande Chartreuse to, by Voiron or 

Voreppe, 103 
Gressan, 152 

Gressonay la Trinite, village of, 313 

Gressonay St. Jean, 313 

Gresy, village of, 111 

Gresy sur Aix, village of, 105 

Griaz, Glacier de, 184 

Grion, 247 

Grisanche, Val, 163, 169 

Groscavallo, valley of, 139 

Groscavallo, village of, 140 

Groscavallo, Madonna del Forno di, sanctuary 

of, 141 
Gruben, hamlet of, 2*9 
Guides and porters, xxxii 
Guiers river, 101 
Guiers Mort river, 101 
Guiers Vif river, 101 
Guilestre, village of, 26 
Guilestre, Barcelonette to (§ 4, Rte. C), 30 
Guilestre, Castel Delfino to, by Col de Longet 

and Col de Cristillan (§ 4, Rte. E), 31 
Guilestre to Vallouise (§ 9. Rte. B) 76 
Guillaumes, village of, 18 



370 



GENERAL INDEX. 



GUI 

Guisanne torrent, 39 

Guiseppe, Rima San, village of, 330 

Gyr torrent, 77 

HABERE Lullin, village of. 240 
Habere Poche, village of, 240 
Hauderes, hamlet of, 277 
Herbrigen, 293 
Htiremence, village of, 273 

Heremence, Chermontane to, bv the Col du 

Mont Rouge (§ 18, Kte. M), 273 
Heremence, Val d', 279 
Herens, Val d\ 275 
Hermance river, 237 
Hermillon, village of, 127 
Hery, village of, 130 
Hiere river, 101 
Hochbalm Glacier, 340 
Hochwang Glacier, 286 
Hob berg Glacier, 304 
Hospice of the Little St. Bernard, 164 
Hospice of tbe Great St. Bernard, 261 
Hospice of the Great St. Bernard to Cour- 

mayeur (§ 18, Rte. B), 254 
Hospice of the Simplon, 350 
Hugon, Chartreuse de St., 97 

Combe de St., 97 

Hypsometry of the Alps, lxiv 



IGXOS, Cascade d\ 277 
lilies, Vald', 235 
Illiez, Val d\ village of, 235 
lllsee lake, 288 
Infernet, Val del, 9 
Ingria, 148 
Inns, xxxvi 
Introd, 172 
Isella, 346 

Iseila, Saas to, by the Zwischbergen Pass (§ 21, 

Rte. D), 350 
Isere river, 93, 95 
Ismier, St., vilL.ge of, 94 
Isola, 18 
Isoia Bella, 347 
Issime, villase of, 313. 331 
Ivrea, town of, 309, 330 

Ivrea, Zermatt to, by the Val Tournanche 

(§ 20, Rte. 13), 305 
Ivrea to Orta, by Biella (§ 20, Rte. K), 330 
Ivrogne, village of, 165 

Ivrogne to Sainte Foi, by the Val Grisanche 
(§ 15, Rte. C), 169 



JAILLON. or Giaglone, hamlet of, 51 
Jardin, the, 189, 191 
Jean d'Arves, Sc., village of. 68 
Jean d'Aulph, St., village of, 241 
Jean, St.. de Belleville, village of. 128 
Jean de Maurienne, St., town of, 48 
Jean de Maurienne, St., La Grave en Oisans to 

(§ 8, Rte. B), 66 
Jean ae Maurienne, St., Bourg d'Oisans to {§ 8, 
Rce. C), 67 

Jean de Maurienne, St., to Mcutiers Taren- 
taise, by the Col de la Platiere v § 11, Rte. H), 
127 

Jean de Sixt, St., village of, 133 
Jeoire, St., village, 226, 240 
Jorio, St., 131 



LOC 

Jovencau, 152 
Jung, 290 



KALTWASSER Glacier, 345 
Kien Glacier, 293, 304 
Krumbach, or Doveria, river, 346 



LAFFREY, village of, 87 
Lancettes, Glacier des, 203 
Lancey, 95 
Landry, 118 
Langin, village of, 240 
Lans, Glacier de, 64 
Lanslebourg, 49 

Lanslebourg. Bourg St. Maurice to, by the Col 

d'Iseran (§11, Rte. B), 113 
Lanslebourg, Moutiers Tarentaise to, by the Col 

de la Vanoise (§11, Rte. E), 120 
Lanslebourg, Turin to, by Lanzo and Grosca- 

vallo (§ 13, Rte. A), 139 
Lanslebourg, Lanzo to, by Viu (§ 13, Rte. E), 

145 

Lans-le-Villard, 1 17 

Lantosca, 9 
Lanzo, town of, 139 

Lanzo, Ceresole to, by the Col della Crocetta 

(§ 13, Rte. C), 143 
Lanzo to Lanslebourg, bv Ala and the Col du 

Collarin (§ 13, Rte. D), 143 
Lanzo to Lanslebourg, by Viu (§13, Rte. E), 

145 

Laquin Glacier, 346 
L'Arche, village of, 12 
Larossor, valley of, 123 
Laurent du Pont, St.. village of, 101 
Laurent, St., de la Cote, village of, 126 
Lausanne, town of, 245 

cite and cathedral of, 245 

Lausqueour, Glacier de, 161 
Lauzet, Le, 20 
Laval, 70 

Laval, plain of, 115 
Lavaldens, village of, 87 
Lavanchv, hamlet of, 189 
Lavev, Baths of. 249 
Lavez Thai, 312 
Lechaud, Glacier de, 187 
Leger, St., 97 
Lehmbach torrent, 351 
Leisse rii er, 123 
Lembach river, 335 
Lemie, village of, 145 
Lemie, pass from Ala to, 147 
Lenaret, Glacier de, 280 
Lenta river, 23 
Lepin, village of, 104 
Lesa, village of, 348 
Leschaux, village of, 108 
Leuk, 343 

Levanna district (§ 13), 139 
Levenzo, village of, 9, 17 
Liapey, chalets of, 280 
Liddes, 251 
Lignare torrent, 86 
Lillianes, village of, 313, 331 
Lomone, village of, 4 
Lireronge, glacier of, 259, 273 
Li vet, hamlet of, 65 
Livionaz, Chalet de, 160 
Locana, Val, 148 
Locana, town of, 157 



GENERAL INDEX. 



371 



LON 

Longeborgne, hermitage of, 276 
Longefoy, village of, 113 
Lore, Val de, 156 
LoubiSres, Villard, 88 
Loup, Plan du, 123 
Lourtier, village of, 258 
Lovitel, Lac de, 74 
Lovitel, Vallon de, 74 
Luc, St., valley of, 288 

Luc, St., to St. Niklaus, by the Z'meidan Pass 

and the Jung Joch (§ 19, Rte. K), 289 
Luce, Haut, 134 
Luce, Haut, valley of, 134 
Lullin, 240 
Lully, village of, 240 
Lumbin, post station of, 94 
Luseney, 267 
Luserna, La Torre di, 23 
Luserna, Val di, 33 
Luserne, La Tour de, 34 

Luserne, La Tour de, to Perouse (§ 5, Rte. C), 
37 

Lys, Cour de, 312 
Lvs Glacier, 312 

Lys, Val de, Lys Thai, or Vallese, 312 



MAC HILLY, village of, 240 
Macon, 91 
Macot, Mines of, 112 
Macugnaga, village of, 320, 327 
Macugnaga, Val Tournanche to, by the middle 

passes (§ 20, Rte. H), 324 
Macugnaga, Visp to, by the Monte Moro (§ 20, 

Rte. N), 333 
Madame, Combe de, 71 
Maddalena, L^go della, 12 
Madre, Isola, 347 
Magland, Vallee de, 182 
Maira, village of, 18 
Maira, Val, 13 
Maison, La Grande, 69 
Majoria, in Sion, 342 
Malanaggio, 36 
Malaval, La Combe de, 64 
Malciaussia, chalets of, 146 

pass from, to Susa, 147 

Maljasset, hamlet of, 15, 30 
Malsanne, valley of the, 87 
Manigod, La Combe de, 133 
Marcel, St., village of, 112 
Marcel, St., Val de, 327 
Marche, 279 

Marches, Les, village of, 95 
Marcieux, 104 

Marguerite, Ste., chalets of, 167 
Maria, Mosso Sta., 331 
Marigny, 226, 228 

Maritime Alps, 1. Limit between them and the 

Ligurian Apennine, 2 
Marlens, village of, 131 
Marmora, Valle della, 14, 15 
Martigny, town of, 218, 249 
Martigny, Chamouni to (§ 16, Rte. H), 216 

by the Col de Balme, 216 

by the Tete Noire and Trient, 218 

by the Tete Noire and Salvent, 219 

Martigny, Sixt to, by Salvent (§ 17, Rte. E), 232 
Martigny, Champery to (§ 17, Rte. H), 236 
Martigny le Bourg, 250 

Martigny to Aosta, by the Val de Bagnes and 

the Col de Fenetre (§ 18, Rte. D), 257 
Martigny to Arona (§ 2\, Rte. A), 341 



MOL 

Martin, St., 228 

Martin, St., village of, 182 

Martin, St., d'outre Arc, 42 

Martin, St., de Belleville, village of, 126 

Martin, Pont St., 308 

Martiniana, 23 

Martino de Lantosca, San, village of, 9 

Martino, La Balma di Rio, 23 

Massel, village of, 38 

Massel, Val de, 38 

Massongex, 239 

Massongy, 237 

Mastalone, Val, 332 

Mattmark See, 335 

Maurice, St., 239 

Maurice, St., town of, 248 

Maurice, Bourg St., 112 

Chambery to (§ 11, Rte. A), 110 

to Lanlesbourg, by the Col d'Iseran (§ 11, 

Rte. B), 113 
, Tignes to, by the Col du Palet (§11, Rte. 

C), 117 

Albertville to, by Beaufort (§ 12, Rte. F), 

135 

by the Col de la Saulce, 135 

by the Col de l'Allee, 135 

to Aosta (§ 15, Rte. A), 163 

Maurice, St., Geneva to, by Thonon (§ 17, Rte. 
I), 237 

Maurin, commune of, 15, 30 

Mauvoisin, Pont de, 258 

Maxime, St., de Beaufort. See Beaufort 

Measures, xxi 

Megeve, 130 

Megevette, 240 

Meillerie, 238 

Meina, 348 

Meiris torrent, 6 

Melezet, valley of the, 30 

Melezet river, 32 

Menoge river, 181 

Menoge stream, 240 

Menthon, 132 

Meolans, village of, 20 

Mer de Glace, 187 

Meribe, Chalets de, 279 

Meteorology of the Alps, lxiv 

Meyer, Pian, chalets of, 27 

Meyronne, 12 

Mezzenile, 143 

Mezzenile, pass from, to ViCt, 147 
Miage, Glacier de, 198, 204 
Miage, Chalets de, 205 
Michel, St., 48 

Michel, St., Briancon to (§ 6, Rte. D), 41 
Michel, St., to Moutiers Tarentaise (§ 11, Rte. 

G), 126 
Mieussy, 226 

Mine, Glacier de Mont, 279, 280 

Miniera, Valle della, torrent of, 5 

Mirabouc, fort of, 35 

Mission, 283 

Modane, village of, 49 

Modane, Briancon to (§6, Rte. E), 42 

Modane to Cesanne (§ 6, Rte. F), 45 

Modane, Pralognan to, by the Col de Chaviere, 

or the Col d'Aussois (§11, Rte. F), 124 
Moede, Chalets de, 232 
Moiry, Glacier de, or Gl. de Torrent, 286 
Molaret, post house of, 51 
Molieres, Vallon de, 8 
Molines, village of, 31 
Mollia, 317 



68 2 



372 



GENERAL INDEX. 



MOM 

Morning, Glacier de, 283 

Mompantero. village of, 51 

Monastero," 139 

Mondovi, 2 

Mondrone, 144- 

Monei, Glacier de, 162 

Monestier, village of, 63 

Monestier, Vallouise to (§9, Rte. H), 84 

Monetier, village of, 180 

Money, xix 

iViongrande, 331 

Monta, La, 25 

Monta, hamlet of, 277 

Montaldo, castle of, 308 

Montandeni, Glacier de, 161 

Montandrev, village of, 127 

Mont Blanc district (§ 16), 175 

Montbonnot, village of, 94 

Monterossa, 15 

Montgellafrey, village of, 128 

Monthey. 239 

Monthey, Samoens to (§ 17, Rte. F), 234 

Monthey, Thonon to (§ 17, Rte. M), 241 

Montmelian, 47, 96 

Montreux, village of, 247 

Montriond, village of, 241 

Montriond, Lac de, 242 

Moret torrent, 128 

Moretel, village of, 97 

Morillon, village of, 228 

Morges, town of, 245 

Morges, village of, 255 

Morgex, village of, 165 

Morgin, Baths of, 242 

Morgin, Vallee de, 242 

Morte, La, 87 

Morte, La, hamlet of, 65 

Morte, Eau, river of, 131 

Morzine,241. 242 

Mosso, Sta. Maria, 331 

Motet, 197 

Moulin Vieux, hamlet of, 87 

Mountaineering, On, xlix 

Moutiers Tarentaise, town of, 111 

Moutiers Tarentaise, Tignes to, by the Col du 

Palet (§ 11, Rte. C), 117 
. to Lanslebourg, by the Col de la Vanoise 

(§11, Rte. E), 120 
Moutiers Tarentaise, St. Michel to (§11, Rte. 

G), 126 

Moutiers Tarentaise, St. Jean de Maurienne to, 
by the Col de la Platiere (§ 11, Rte. H), 127 

Moutiers Tarentaise, La Chambre to, by the 
Col de la Madeleine (§11, Rte. I), 1 28 

Moutiers Tarentaise, St. Maximede Beaufort to 
(§12, Rte. G), 136 

Mouxy, village of, 92 

Mulera, Cima de, hamlet of, 322 

Mulera, Piede, 322 

Mure, La, 86, 87 

Mure, La, to La Chapelle en Val Godemar (§9, 

Rte. M), 88 
Myans, Abimes de, 93 



NANT BOURRANT, 196 
Nant-Bride, hamlets of, 227 
Nant Brun, valley of, 127 
Nant Noir, torrent of, 184 
Nantillon, Glacier de, 192 
Nntits, Deux, hamlet of, 128 
Nanzer Thai, or Gamsen Thai, 344 
Narreyroux. hamlet of, 85 



OES 

Navalaise, villase of, 104 

Navisanche river, 283 

Nax, village of, 279 

Nendaz, Val de, 258 

Neuva. Glacier de la, 223 

Nevache, Val de, 43 

Nice, city of, 6 

Nice, Turin to (§ 1, Rte. A),3 

Nice, Baths of Valdieri to (§ 1, Rte. C), 6 

Nice, Cuneo to, by Entracque and Col delle Fi- 

nestre (§ 1, Rte. D), 10 
Nice to Barcelonette (§ 3, Rte. A), 17 
Nice to Colmar (§ 3, Rte. B), 18 
Nicolaithal, 292 

Niklaus, St., village of, 290, 292 

Niklaus, St., St. Luc to, by the Z'meiden Pass 

and the Jung Joch (§ 19, Rte. K), 289 
Niklaus, St., Saas to, by the Ried Pass (§20, 

Rte. P),339 
Niouc, village of, 283 
Nivolet, Chalet de, 159 
Noasca, village of, 157 
Noaschetta torrent, 157 
Noir, Glacier, 81 
Norandine river, 130 
Notes, Supplementary, cxxvii 
Novalese, village of, 51 
Novalese, 53 
Noyer, village of, 107 
Noyer, valley of the, 107 
Novara, 317 
Novel, 238 
Noversch, 313 
Nus, village of, 327 
Nus torrent, 267 
Nyon, town of, 245 



OFFENGE-DESSOUS, St., village of, 106 
Offenge-Dessus, St., village of, 106 
Oisans, Pays d\ 60 
Oisans district, (§8), 61 
Oisans, Bourg d', town of, 64 
Oisans, Bourg d',to St. Jean de Maurienne (§8, 
Rte. C), 67 

Oisans, Bourg d', to La r Chambre, (§ 8, Rte. D), 

68 

Oisans, Bourg d,' to Allevard (§ 8, Rte. E), 70 
Oisans, Bourg d', to La Berarde (§9, Rte. A), 
73 

Oisans, Bourg d', to Grenoble, by La Mure (§9, 

Rte. L), 86 
Olle, Combe d', 69 
Olloccia, Val, 329 
Ollomont, 260 
Ollomont, Val d\ 260, 265 
Omegna, 333, 349 
Oncino, 23 

Onde, glacier stream, 77 
Onion, village of, 240 
Orcieres, village of. 86 
Orelle, village of, 49 
Orelle, village of, 126 
Oren, Combe d', 265, 278 
Ormelune river, 113 
Ornavasso, 347 
Ornon, 65 

Ornon, commune of, 86 
Orny, Glacier d', 223 
Oropa, sanctuary of, 334 

Orsieres, Chamouni to, by the Col de Champey 
(§ 16 ? Rte. I), 219 



GENERAL INDEX. 



373 



OES 

Orsieres to Courmayeur, by the Col de Ferrex 
(§16, Rte. K), 220 

Orsieres, Chamoimi to, by the Col d' Argen- 
tines (§ 16, Rte. L), 221 

Orsieres, Chamouni to, by the Glacier du Tour 
(§ 16. Rte. M), 223 

Orsieres, village of, 250 

Orta, Lake of. 331 

Orta, town of, 331 

Orta, Ivrea to, by Biella, (§ 20, Rte. K), 330 
Orta to Ponte Grande, by the Val Mastalone 

(§ 20, Rte. L), 332 
Orta to Ponte Grande, by the Val Strona (§20, 

Rte. M), 333 
Ossola, Val d\ 346 

Ossola, Domo d\ See Domo d'Ossola 

Ouches, Les, village of, 184 

Ouchy, 246 

Ouille, Lac de 1', 123 

Oulaz, Golette d', 236 

Oulx, village of, 39 

Ours, St., church of, at Aosta, 166 

Oursiere, Cascade del', 98 

Ovesca torrent, 352 

Oyace, village of, 265 

Oyen, St., 254 

Oz, village of, 69 



PAESANO, town of, 23 
Palus, hamlet of, 86 
Pancrace, Villar St. 40 
Paradis district (§ 14), 147 
Paris to Chambery (§ 10, Rte. A), 91 
Paris to Chamouni, by Geneva (§ 16, Rte. A), 
177 

Passports, xix 

Passy, village of, 183, 229 

Paul, St., village of, 30 

Pedestrians, advice to, xliv 

Pedriolo, chalets of, 320 

Pelerins, Glacier des, 191 

Pelerins, Cascade des, 192 

Pella, 332 

Pellina, Val, 260 

Pelvoux, Mont, ascent of, 76 

Pelvoux district (§ 9), 73 

Pendant, Glacier de la, 222 

Pennine Alps, 173 

Perouse, or Fenestrelle, Val de, 36 

Perouse, town of, 36 

Perouse, La Tour de Luserne to (§ 5, Rte. C), 
37 

Perouse to Abries, by the Val Germanasca (§ 5, 

Rte. D), 37 
Perouse to Pragelas (§ 5, Rte. E), 38 
Perouse to Cesanne,by Rodoret.'(§ 5, Rte. F), 38 
Perrier, or Perrero, village of, 37 
Pescatori, Isola dei, 347 
Pesey, village of, 118 

mines of, 118 

Pesio, Certosa di, 4 
Pestarena, village of, 321 
Pfyn, 343 

Pianche, hamlet of, 11 
Piantonetto, Val, 157 
Piasco, 16 

Piece, Glacier de, 272 
Pierre, St., 165 

Pierre d'Albigny, St., town of, 47, 107 
Pierre, Glacier de la Bonne, 79 
Pierre d'Allevard, St., ruins of, 97 
Pierre d'Entremont, St., village of, 102 



PRA 

Pierre de Belleville, St., 97 

Pierre de Chartreuse, St., village of, 103 

Pierre Castel, fort of, 104 

Pierre, St.. village of, 251 

Pierre, St., to Aosta, by the Col de Menouve 

(§ 18, Rte. C), 255 
Pierre, St., Chables to, by the Col de la Maison 

Blanche (§ 18, Rte. E), 260 
Pierre, St., to Chermontane, by the Col de 

Sonadon (§ 18, Rte. F),263 
Pietra Porzio, village of, 12 
Pignerol, or Pinerolo, town of, 34 
Pignerol to Mont Dauphin (§ 5, Rte. A), 34 
Pignerol to Cesanne (§ 5, Rte. B), 35 
Pilatte, Glacier de la, 82 
Pinsot, 71 
Piode,317 

Pissevache waterfall, 249 
Pisson, Cascade du, 71 
Plan, Lac du, 192 
Planaval, village of, 170 
Planay, village of, 121 
Planay, hamlet of, 54 
Planereuse, glacier of, 221 
Planpinet, 43 
Planpraz, 193 

Plateau, Grand (12,900'), 210 

Plateau, Grand, of Mont Blanc, 213 

Platei, Desert de, 183, 229 

Po, valley of the, 23 

Pogetto Teniers, village of, 18 

Poleset, chalets of, 125 

Pons, St., village of, 20 

Pont, hamlet of, 159 

Pont St. Martin, 308 

Pont St. Martin, Zermatt to, by the Lys Joch, 
or Zwillinge Joch, and the Val de Lys (§ 20, 
Rte. D),311 

Pontcharra, village of, 95, 96 

Ponte, village of, 148 

Ponte to Tignes, by the Colde Galese (§ 14, Rte. 
E), 157 

Ponte Grande, village of, 321, 329 

Ponte Grande, Aosta to, by the lower passes, 

(§ 20, Rte. I), 327 
Ponte Grande, Orta to, by the Val Mastalone 

(§ 20, Rte. L), 332 
Ponte Grande, Orta to, by th » V^al Strona (§ 20, 

Rte. M), 333 
Pontecellamot, valley of, 134, 136 
Pormenaz, Lac de, 232 
Portette, La, 229 
Post Offices, xxiii 
Posting, xxviii 
Pouridres, hamlet of, 36 
Poyaz, Cascade de, 218 
Pra del Tor, defile of, 37 
Pragelas, Val, 36 

Pragelas, Perouse to (§ 5, Rte. E), 38 
Pralis, village of, 37 
Pralognan, village of, 121 

Pralognan to Modane, by the Col de Chaviere, 

or the Col d'Aussois (§ 11, Rte. F), 124 
Pralong, 134 
Pralong, Mayens de, 279 
Pramain, hamlet of, 1 18 
Pramol, hamlet of, 36, 37 
Prapic, 86 

Prarayen, chalets of, 265 

Prarayen to Val Tourmanche, or Breuil, by the 
Col de Vacornere (§ 18, Rte. I), 268 

Prarayen, Chermontane to, by the Glacier 
d'Otemma (§ 18, Rte. K), 269 



374 GENERAL 
PRA 

Praiayen, Chermontane to, by the Col de Crete 

SSche, 270 

by the Mont Gele, 270 

by the Col de la Reuse de PArolla, 271 

Prarayen, Evolena to, by the Col des Bouquetins 

(§ 19, Rte. B), 278 
Praz-le-Fort, hamlet of, 221 
Prazzo, village of, 14 

Prazzo, Cune-t to, by Val Grana (§ 2, Rte. C), 15 
Preit, Val del, 14 
Prrquartero, 321 

Prieure, Le, or village of Chamouni, 185 
Proz, Glacier de, 256 
Pucelle, Saut de la, 64 
Pyriraont, 177 



QUARAZZA, Val, 327, 330 
Quarazzola, Val, 330 
Quarna, village of, 333 
Queige, village of, 134 
Queyras, Chateau de, 26 

Queyras, Barcelonette to, by St. Veran (§ 4, Rte. 

D), 30 

Queyras, Castel Delfino to (§ 4, Rte. F), 32 
Queyras to Briancon (§ 6, Rte. B), 40 



RAXDA, village of, 293 
Raron, 343 
Re, Piano del, 24. 29 
Recluse torrent, 163 
Reine, Sainte, village of, 108 
Relinges. 229 
Remy, St., village of, 253" 
Remy, St., Allevard to, 97 
Reposoir, Vallee du, 134 

chartreuse du, 134* 

Reschy, 290 

Revel ($ 3, Rte. D), 20 

Revel (§ 10, Rte. E), 99 

Rhemes, Val de. 163, 171 

Rhemes, Notre Dame de, village of, 172 

Rhemes, St. George de, village of, 172 

Rhone, Perte du, 177 

Riddes, 342 

Rimplas, 18 

Ribons torrent, 53 

Riche torrent, 226 

Riche, valley of the, 240] 

Riding:, xxxi 

Ried Gletscher, 293 

Rif torrent, 42 

Rimasco, 329 

Rimella, village of, 333 

Rioubregond, 102 

Rioburent river, 31 

Riouperoux, hamlet of, 65 

Ripa valley, 39 

Ripaille, monastery of, 238 

Ritort, chalet of, 124 

Riva, village of, 316 

Rivier, 70 

Rivier, hamlet of, 69 
Riviere torrent, 40 
Riviere, La, torrent of, 121 
Riviere, La, valley of, 121 
Robert, Lac, 99 
Robillante, 4 

Rocca, Ponte della, at Lanzo, 139 
Roccabighiera, village of, 9 
Roccavione, 4 

Roche, La, village of (§ 9, Rte. K), 86 



INDEX. 

8AU 

Roche, La, village of (§ 12, Rte. C), 132 

Rochemolle, 58 
Rochemolle, Vallon de, 58 
Rochette, La, 97 
Rodoret, village of, 38,' 
Rodoret, Val, 37, 38 
Roget, Cascade de, 230 
Roisan, 264 

Roisonne, valley of the, 87 
Rnja torrent, 3 
Rolle, town of, 245 
Romagnano, 317, 331 
Romanche, valley of the, 61 
Rosa, Monte, district (§ 20), 290 
Rosa, Monte, Gletscher, 300 
Roselein, hamlet of, 136 
Rossboden Glacier, 346, 350 
Rothplatt Glacier, 352 
Roubiel torrent, 26 
Roussa, Lago della, 146 
Rubiana, 147 

Rubiana, pass from Viti to, 147 
Ruine, La, chalets of, 25 
Ruitor district (§ 15), 162 
Ruitor, Glacier du, 163 



SAAS, 334 
Saas to Zermatt, by the Saas Grat (§ 20, 
Rte. O), 336 
Saas to St. Niklaus, by the Ried Pass (§ 20, Rte. 

P), 339 

Saas to the Simplon Hospice (§ 21, Rte. C), 350 
Saas to Isella, by the Zwischbergen Pass (§ 21, 

Rte. D), 350 
Saas to Domo d'Ossola, by the Val Bugnanco 

(§ 21, Rte. E),351 
Saas to Domo d'Ossola, by the Val Antrona 

(§ 21, Rte. F), 352 
Sabbione torrent, 10 
Sables, hamlet of, 68 
Sacro Monte, sanctuary of, 317 
Salanfe, chalets of, 237 
Salassi, the, 165 
Salena, Fenetre de, 224 
Salabertrand, or Salbertrand, 39 
Sallanches, town of, 182 
Sallanches, Albertville to (§ 12, Rte. A), 129 
Sallanches, Annecy to (§ 12, Rte. D), 133 
Sallanches to Contamines and Courmayeur, by 

St. Gervais (§ 16, Rte. C), 201. 
Salle, La, village of, 165 
Saltine torrent, 344 
Saluzzo, town of, 23 

Saluzzo to Barcelonette— Val Vraita (§ 2, Rte. 

D), 15 

Saluzzo to Mont Dauphin (§ 4, Rte. A), 23 

Salvagny, village of, 230, 231 

Salvatore, San, 18 

Salvent, 232, 237 

Salvent, village of, 219 

Samoens, 26 

Samoens to Champery and Monthey (§ 17, Rte. 

F), 234 

Samoens, Thonon to (§ 17, Rte. L), 241 
Sampeyre, village of, 16 
Sanfront, town of, 23 
Sangone torrent, 36 
Sapenidre, or Selseniere, torrent, 77 
Sappey, village of, 103 
Saraval, 133 

Sassiere, Lac de la, 114, 171 
Sauvage, torrent of, 68 



GENERAL INDEX. 



375 



SAV 

Savigliano station, 4 
Savines, village of, 20 
Savines, Grands, 56 
Savines, Lac des, 57 
Savoy Alps, South, 89 
Saxon, mineral waters of, 342 
Saxonnex, 181 
Scarena, 6 
Scez, village of, 113 
Schallenberg Glacier, 302 
Schalbet, 345 
Schonbuhl glacier, 286 
Schwarz See, 301 
Schwarzberg Glacier, 319 
Schwarze Glacier, 309 
Scionzier, 181 
Scopa, village of, 317 
Scopello, 317 

Sechilienne, village of, 65 

Secco, Rio, torrent, 9 

Secco, Val di Rio, 1 7 

Selle, Glacier du, 82 

Selle, Glacier de la, 85 

SelseniSre, or Sapenidre, torrent, 77 

Seris, 170 

Sermenta, Val, 317, 329 
Serpiano, Val, 333 
Serrant, Pont, 164 
Servoz, 184, 229 Z 
Sesanfe, Chalets de, 235 
Sesia Glacier, 315 
Sesia, Borgo, 317 
Sestridres, village of, 36 
Sestrieres, Val di, 18 
Settimo Vittone, 308 
Sevrier, 131 
Seyssel, 177 
Sierre, town of, 343 

Sierreto Zermatt, bv the Val d.'Anniviers and 

the Trift Joch (§ 19, Rte. E), 282 
Sierroz stream, 105 
Silvenol, hamlet of, 152 
Simpeln, village of, 345 
Simplon district (§21), 340 
Simplon Hospice, Saas to the (§ 21, Rte. C), 350 
Sion, city of, 342 

Sion to Aosta, by the Val d'Herens and Col de 

Collon (§ 19. Rte. A), 275 
Sion, to the Val de Bagnes, by the Val d'He- 

remence, (§ 19, Rta C), 279 
Sixt district (§ 17), 225 
Sixt, 226 

Sixt, Geneva to, by Tanninges (§ 17, Rte. A), 
225 

by St. Jeoire, 226 

by Bonneville and Chatillon, 227 

Sixt, Geneva to, by Cluses or St. Martin (§ 17, 
Rte. B), 228 

by Cluses, 228 

by St. Martin, 229 

by Passy and La Portette,?229 

Sixt to Chamouni,by Servoz (§ 17, Rte, C), 229 
— — by the Col d'Anterne, 230 

by the Col du Derochoir, 230 

Sixt to Chamouni (§ 17, Rte. D), 230 

Sixt to Martigny, by Salvent (§ 17, Rte. E), 232 

Sixt to Champery (§ 17, Rte. G), 235 

by the Col de Sageroux, 235 

by the Golette d'Oulaz, 236 

Soana, Val, 148 
Somier, 134 

Sonadon, Glacier de, 263 
Sonnant, hamlet of, 98 



THU 

Sonnant, gorge of the, 98 

Sorlin d'Arves, St., commune of, 67 

Sospello, 6 

Soureillan, 77 

Stalden, village of, 292 

Steamers, xxviii 

Stefano, San, village of, 18 

Stock Gletscher, 281 

Stockje, the, 281 

Scresa, 348 

Strona, Val, 333 

Stroppo, 14 

Stura river, 3 ' 

Stura di Ala, 139 

di Demonte river, 11 

di Arnaz, 145 

di Groscavallo, 139 

di Lanzo, 139 

di Usseglio, 145 

di Viu, 139 

Suen, 276 
Susa, city of, 51 

Susa to Briancon, by the Mont Genevre (§ 6 

Rte. A), 39 
Susa to Bessans (§ 7, Rte. E), 52 
Susa, Bramans to, by the Col du Clapier (§ 7 

Rte. C), 53 
Susa, pass from Malciaussia to, 147 
Susten, 343 



TTIACONNAY, Glacier de, 184,210 
-L Tacul, Lac du, 191 
Talefre, Glacier de, 187 
Talloires, village of, 132 
Tamie, Abbey of the, 131 
Tanninges, 226 
Tanvey, 238 

Tarentaise district (§11), 109 
Tasch, village of, 293 
Tasch Glacier, 293, 338 
Tauretunum, 238 
Tavernettes, Les, 50 
Telleccio, Val, 157 
Tencin, 71, 95 
Tenda district, 2 
Tenda, village of, 5 
Termignon, village of, 49, 124 
Territet, 247 
Tesso, Val di, 139 
Tete Noire, 218, 219 
Theodule Glacier, 305 
Theys, 71 

Thibaud de Coux, St., village of, 101 
Thiervoz, Grand, 71 
Thoiry, village of, 107 
Thones, village of, 133 
Thonon, town of, 237, 238 
Thonon, Bonneville to (§ 17, Rte. K), 239 

by Bonne and Machilly, 239 

by Boege, 240 

by St. Jeoire and Megevette, 240 

Thonon to Samoens (§ 11, Rte. L), 241 
Thonon to Champery, or to Monthey (§ 17, Rte. 
M), 241 

by the Col d'Abondance, 241 

by the Col de Chesery, 242 

by the Col de Champery, 242 

by the Col de Coux, 242 

Thorens, valley of, 132 

Thuile, La, village of, 107, 164 

Thuile, La, toSainte Foi (§ 15, Rte. B), 166 

Thuile torrent, 164 



376 



GENERAL INDEX. 



THU 

Thuiles, village of, 20 
Thurael, hamlet of, 172 
Thures valley, 39 
Thuy, 133 

Tiefenmatten Gletscher, 281 
Tier torrent, 104 
Tignes, village of, 114 
Tignes, Val de, 114 
Tignes, Lac de, 117 

Tignes to Moutiers Tarentaise, or Bourg St. 
Maurice, by the Col du Palet (§ 11, Rte. C), 

to Lanslebourg, by the Col de la Leisse 

(§11, Rte. D), 120 
Tignes, Ponte to, by the Col de Galese (§ 14, 

Rte. E), 157 

Tignes to Aosta, by the Col de Gailletta and 

the Val de Rhemes (§ 15, Rte. D), 171 
Tinea, Valley of the, 17 
Tines, village of, 189 
Torembec, Chalets de, 259, 262 
Torre, Val della, 147 
Torrent, Val de, or Torrentthal, 286 
Torrent, Glacier de, or Gl. de Moiry, 286 
Torrentthal, or Val de Torrent, 286 
Tour, Le, hamlet of, 217 
Tour, Glacier du, 223 
Tourbillon, in Sion, 342 
Tourette, village of, 17 

Tourmanche, Val, Prarayen to, by the Col de 

Vacomere (§ 18, Rte. I), 268 
Tournanche, Val, 305 
Tournanche, Val, village of, 307 
Tournanche, Val, to Macugna, by the middle 

passes (§ 20, Rte. H), 324 
Tournon, village of, 130 
Tourtemagoe, or Turtman, 343 
Touvet, Le, village of, 94 
Trajo, Glacier de, 151 
Treicol, Val de, 135 
Trelagrande, Glacier de, 203 
Trelaporte, 190 
Trelechant, hamlet of, 218 
Trevignin, village of, 106 
Trient, village of, 217 
Trient, Glacier du, 223 
Trift, the, 285 
Trift Gletscher, 284 
Trift Joch, or Col de Zinal, 284 
Trinquent, village of, 219 
Triolet, Glacier du, 221 
Trois Torrents, 235 
Trubzuc, Glacier of, 221 
Tunnel through the Alps, 45 
Turin to Nice (§ 1 , Rte. A), 3 
Turin, Chambery to (§ 7, Rte. A), 46 
Turin, city of, 52 

Turin to Lanslebourg, by Lanzo and Grosca- 

vallo (§ 13, Rte. A). 139 
Turin, Ceresole to, by the Col della Crocetta 

(§ 13, Rte. C), 143 
Turin to Aosta, by the Val Soana and Val de 

Cogne (§ 14, Rte. A), 148 
Turfman- Thai, the, 288 
Turtman, 289 

Turtman, Vissoie to, by the Pas de Bceuf and 

the Turtman-Thal (§ 19, Rte. I), 288 
Turtman Glacier, 289 
Turtman, or Tourtemagne, 343 
Tzeudet, Glacier de, 256 



YEN 

UBAYE river, 13, 19 
Ubaye, valley of the, 17, 19 
Ubayette river, 13 
Ugine, town of, 130 
Uriage, baths' of, 98 
cercle of, 98 

Uriage, Chambery to (§ 10, Rte. E), 98 

Useigne, 276 

Usseglio, commune of, 145 



VACHERESSE, La, 241 
Vailly, 240 
Vaire torrent, 18 
Valais, Port, 239, 247 
Valbonnais, 87 
Valdiblora, 18 
Vaidieri, 6 
baths of, 6, 7 

Vaidieri, Baths of, Cuneo to the (§ 1, Rte. B), 6 

Valeiglia, Combe de, 150 
Valeiglia, Glacier de, 157j 
Valentine, the, 241 
Valeria, castle of, 343 
Valetroite, hamlet of, 43 
Valetta, La, village of, 87 
Valjouffrey, village of, 88 
Vallanta, Val di, 27, 29 
Vallasco, 7 

Vallese* or Val de Lys, 312 
Valletta, 8 

Valloire, Combe de, 71 
Valloires, village of, 42 
Vallonet, 67 

Vallouise. La Ville de, 77 
Vallouise, Guilestre to (§ 9, Rte. B), 76 
Vallouise, La Berarde to, by Coldes Ecrins (§ 9, 
Rte. C), 79 

Vallouise, La Berarde to, by the Col de la Tempe 

(§ 9, Rte. D), 81 
Vallouise, La Berarde to, by the Col du Selle 

(§ 9, Rte. E), 81 
Vallouise, La Berarde to, by the Val Godemar 

(§ 9, Rte. F), 82 
Vallouise to La Grave en Oisans (§ 9, Rte. G), 

83 

Vallouise to Monestier (§ 9, Rte. H.), 84 
Vallouise to Embrun, by the Valleys of the 

Hautes Alpes (§ 9, Rte. K), 85 
Valmeinier, village of, 44 • 
Valmeinier, river, 44 
Valorsine, village of, 218 
Valpellina, 265 

Valpellina, St. Barthelemi to the (§ 18, Rte. H,) 

267 

Valpra, hamlet of, 153 

Valsavaranche, or Gioux, village of, 160 

Valsenestre, 88 

Valsenestre, Br&che de, 88 

Valserine river, 177 

Valsorey, Glacier de, 256, 263 

Valtournanche, village of, 269 

Vanoise, Glacier de la, 122 

Vanzone, village of, 321 

Var, Valley of the, 17, 18 

Varallo, 317, 332 

Varallo, Zermatt to, by the Sesia Joch and the 

Val Sesia (§ 20, Rte. E), 314 
Vaujany, commune of, 69 
Vaulnaveys, 98 
Vedro, Val di, 346 
Vegetation of the Alps, lvi 
Venaus, 51 



GENERAL INDEX. 



377 



VEN 



Veneon, Valley of the, 73 
Veneria, La, 147 
Veni, Val de, 198 
Venos, village of, 74 
Veran, St., village of, 31 
Verdon river, 19 

valley of the, 17 

Vermenagna torrent, 3, 4 

Veraayaz, village of, 219, 249 

Vernaz, village of, 241 

Verra Glacier, 310 

Verrex, village of, 308, 310] 

Verrex, Zermatt to, by the Schwarz Thor and 

the Val d'Ayas (§ 20, Rte. C), 309 
Versan torrent, 18 
Versoie river, 135 
Verzuolo, village of, 16 
Vesubia toirent, 3 
Vevey, town of, 246 
Vex, village of, 279 
Veyton torrent, 72 
Vidze river, 235 

Vignerons, Abbaie des, at Vevey, 247 
Villa, 352 

Villar, hamlet of, 34 
Villarambert, 68 
Villaret, hamlet of, 36 
Ville Vieille, 26, 31 
Villeneuve, 247 

Villeneuve, village of, 160, 165, 172 
Villeneuve, in Val d'Aosta, Ceresole to (§ 14, 

Rte. F), 159 
Vilette, 112 
Villy, Chalets de, 232 
Vimine, 104 
Vinadio, baths of, 11 
Vincent, St., village of, 20 
Vincent, Puy St., village of, 85 
Vincent, St., 308 
Vincent, St., baths of, 328 
Vincenthutte, 323 
Viollins, Les, 86 
Viso district (§ 4), 22 
Vissoie, village of, 283, 287 
Vissoie, Evolena to, by the Val de Torrent 

(§ 19, Rte. G), 286 
Vissoie to Turtman, by the Pas de Bceuf and 

the Turtman- Thai (§ 19, Rte. I), 288 
Visp, Gorner, 292 
Visp, Saaser, 292 
Visp, village of, 343 
Visp to Zermatt (§ 20, Rte. A), 292 
Visp to Macugnaga, by the Monte Moro (§ 20, 

Rte. N), 333 
Viu, village of, 145 
Via, valley of, 139 
Viu, valley of the, 146 

passes leading from the, 146 

Vizille, 66 
Vogogna, 322, 347 

Vogogna, Zermatt to, by the Weiss Thor and 
the Val Anzasca (§20, Rte. F), 318 



Voiron, 103 
Voiturier, xxviii 
Vonzo, village of, 140 
Voreppe, 103 
Vougy, LSI 
Vouvry, 239 

Vuibez, Glacier de, 272, 277 
Vraita, Val, 2, 16 



WALDENSIAN district (§ 5), 33 
Wandfiuh ridge, 281 
Weingarten Gletscher, 336 



r ENNE, town of, 104 



ZARDEZAN, Glacier de, 265 
Zeleze, Croix de, 236 
Zermatt, village of, 282, 294 
Zermatt, Aosta to, by the Val Pellina and the 

Col de la Val Pellina (§ 18, Rte. G), 264 
Zermatt, Evolena to, by the Cold'Herens (§ 19 r 

Rte. D), 280 
Zermatt, Sierre to, by the Val d'Anniviers and 

the Trift Joch (§ 19, Rte. E), 282 
Zermatt, Zinal to, by the Col Durand or Col 

de la Dent Blanche (§ 19, Rte. F), 285 
Zermatt, Visp to (§ 20, Rte. A), 292 

excursions from Zermatt, 292 

Zermatt to Ivrea, by the Val Tournanche (§ 20, 

Rte. B), 305 
Zermatt to Verrex, by the Schwarz Thor and 

the Val d'Ayas (§ 20, Rte. C), 309 
Zermatt to Pont St. Martin, by the Lys Joch, 
or Zwillinge Joch, and the Val de Lys (§ 20, 
Rte. D), 311 
Zermatt to Varallo, by the Sesia Joch and the 

Val Sesia (§ 20, Rte. E), 314 
Zermatt to Vogogna, by the Weiss Thor and 

the Val Anzasca (§ 20, Rte. F), 318 
Zermatt, Saas to, by the Saas Grat (§ 20, Rte. 

O), 336 
Zessetta, Glacier de, 259 
Zinal, 283 

Zinal, Glacier de, or Glacier de Durand, 283, 284, 

Zinal to Zermatt, by the Col Durand or Col de 
la Dent Blanche (§ 19, Rte. F), 285 

Zinal, Evolena to, by the Col de Sorebois (§ 19, 
Rte. H), 287 

Z'meiden, mayens of, 289 

Z'meigeren, pastures of, 335 

Zmutt Glacier, 281 

Zmutt, hamlet of, 282, 302 

Zoology.of the Alps, lxi 

Zwillinge Glacier, 314 

Zwischbergen, village of, 351 



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THE AVALANCHES OF TEE JUXGFRAU. 



TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES. 
Sir— Every day duimg (he season hundreds of Swiss tra- 
vellers cross betweenLauterbmumeuandGrmdehvald.by way 
of the Wengern Alp, with the object of seeing the vast pre- 
cipices of the Juugfrau range, and especially of witnessing 
the avalanches that rush and roar at frequent intervals 
down its sides. I beg to assure future tourists that the 
majesty of these avalanches may be safely witnessed by 
those who are capable of a short scramble at tho distanco of 
a few yards, instead of from tho ",\ eii_ i 

tho^pwtetora? " This morning, in^ursuance of aiTidea 
which occurred to me last year, I made an excursion 
to see how near I could get with safety to the channel 
down which all the avalanches from the north face 
of the Jungfrau necessarily fall, and I succeeded 
beyond my expectations. I have witnessed one of tho 
most astounding of Alpine phenomena with perfect ease, 




crepitations is echoed and reverberated at a distance into 
prolonged thunder, to do similar sounds made by the ice 
and acted on by similar influences produce the roar of the 



I strongly advise tourisia to follow my example. They 
will niosUj require a ropo to enable their guide to assist 
Ihcm up two short terraces of rather slippery rock, is which 

cntcrprisiug Seiss might also avail himself of the natural 
disposition of the strata, and cut a perfectly secure 
*' covered way" aitfcin five yards of the ice falL 

tBAMCBB G ALTON*. 

I Scheideck Hotel. Aug. ■'■ 



2 ALPINE GUIDE ADVERTISER. [July 



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INSTRUMENTS AND INFORMATION FOR TRAVELLERS ON THE ALPS. 



CASELLA'S THERMO-HYPSOMETER, for Measuring any Height ; 
REGISTERING THERMOMETERS, &C. for the Pocket ; and 
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NEW, GREATLY IMPROVED, AND CHEAPER EDITION OF BUTLER'S 
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Now ready, in royal 8vo. price 10s. 6d. half-bound ; or royal 4to. (full size of 
the Maps) price 10s. 6d. cloth, 

AN ATLAS OF MODERN GEOGRAPHY 

By the Eight Kev. S. BUTLEE, D.D., 

Late Lord Bishop of Lichfield, and formerly Head Master of Shrewsbury School. 

New Edition, enlarged to Thirty-three full coloured Maps, drawn and engraved 
on Steel by E. Weller, F.R.G.S. ; accompanied by a complete Alphabetical 
Index. Edited by the Author's Son, the Rev. T. Butler, MA. F.R.G.S. 

* # * In this Edition the Map of Switzerland has been wholly redrawn, show- 
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1. The World i 

2. The World, Physical i 

Features 

3. Europe 

4. England and Wales 

5. Scotland 

6. Ireland 

7. France 

8. Spain and Portugal 

9. Switzerland 

10. Holland and Belgium 

11. Germany 

12. Prussia and Denmark t 



List of the Maps. 

13. The Austrian Empire 

14. Northern Italy 

15. Southern Italy 

16. Sweden and Norway 

17. Russia 

18. Turkey in Europe and 

Greece 

19. Asia 

20. Turkey in Asia 

21. Palestine 

22. Hindostan 

23. Africa 

24. Njrth America 



25. British North America 

26. United States of North 

America 

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North America 

29. The West Indies 

30. South America 

31. Australia and the adja- 

cent Islands 

32. South-Eastern Australia 

33. New Zealaud 



'There are several improvements in this edition of Bishop Butler's Atlas of 
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London : LONG-MAN, GREEN, and CO. Paternoster Row. ' 

\M 1 



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